Dreams of Kpop
by daeyeth
Summary: <html><head></head>Demond Park, a black twenty-four year old, makes a living by dancing on the streets of Seoul, South Korea to support his little sister. One day, Demond is confronted by the opportunity of a life time as a talent scout asks him to join their dance crew. What will happen to him on his journey towards becoming a professional dancer?</html>
1. Prologue

Dreams of K-Pop

by Daeyeth

Prologue

* * *

><p>On the streets of Seoul, a small crowd gathered around in a circle, all paying attention to one thing. A street dancer. He moved like water with the music, becoming one with it. The crowd clapped along to the beat as he impressed them, flipping through the air and turning his body into a wave. After the music stopped, the dancer grabbed a hat to gather money from the crowd who seemed happy to do so, thoroughly enjoying the show. The dancer did not make eye contact with the crowd, looking down towards the ground as he made his rounds. He uttered a soft "thank you" in Korean with each patronage given.<p>

The crowd was quite taken with him as its not often they see a young black man in South Korea, much less one dancing for money on the streets. After collecting the money, the crowd dispersed and the young man collected his things, beginning to go on his way. One person walked up to him. He was young and had trendy looking clothes.

"Hey man, that was awesome! What's your name?" he asked.

"Demond," the dancer said quietly.

"Sweet! Are you in any dance crews?"

"No." Demond shook his head. He thought, 'I wish...but...' He sighed. "I gotta go."

"Alright, hope to see you around again!"

The bus ride back to his tiny Seoul apartment was uneventful and few paid him mind.

"Eun Mi, I'm back."

"Oppa!" A little Korean girl rushed up to him and gave him a giant hug.

"How was school?"

"Good!"

"That's good. Make sure you study hard."

"I will!" the girl beamed up at him. "Did you make a lot of money today?"

"I made enough. Remember what I told you, you don't need to worry about that. Just make sure you focus on school," Demond said sternly.

Eun Mi nodded enthusiastically. "Okay!"

"Hold on, I'll make us some dinner."

This was life for young Demond. Dancing all day so that he and his adopted little sister could make ends meet. It wasn't always like this. He had been a promising young dance star at the dance academy but all that changed that one fateful night when a tragic car accident took away his adopted parents and Eun Mi's blood parents. That was four years ago and Eun Mi was now eight, himself twenty-four. He had to quit everything in order for them to survive.

It had been nine years since he had been moved to South Korea by his now deceased adopted parents. He missed them. They were good people. Demond shook his head and tried not to think of such things. What was the point? It was what it was.

"Here Eun Mi. I made your favorite, kimchi fried rice."

"Yay!"

It wasn't much but they ate what they could and savored it.

"So how was your test today?" Demond asked.

"Good! I think I passed!"

"That's good. Keep at it."

"Okay!"

They finished dinner quickly, watched some TV, helped Eun Mi with some homework, then went to bed. Laying in his futon in his one room apartment, he stared off distantly at the ceiling. 'How long can I live like this?' Demond thought to himself. He looked off to his left towards his sleeping sister. A determined energy rose up within him. 'As long as I have to. For Eun Mi.'

In the spur of the moment, rhyming verses escaped his mouth softly as he spit it effortlessly. He rapped of back home and how his new life with Eun Mi had changed him. He always felt at peace when he was rapping. It comforted him. Demond would often rap to himself or to Eun Mi (she liked it) when they were alone together. But never in public. His rap was for himself and Eun Mi alone, to express himself.

* * *

><p>The next morning he walked his little sister to school but made sure to drop her off a little ways before getting to the school. People asked too many questions when they saw him with her. He didn't want to give them reason to take her away because he didn't trust system. He didn't know what they would do with Eun Mi if they took her away but he had a lot of bad experiences in the foster care system in the U.S. After witnessing the murder of his parents at a fatal robbery when he was five, Demond had been shuffled from foster home to foster home in Harlem, New York City. It was not a good life. Quite often, he was an afterthought to his foster parents, leaving him to fend for himself on the rough streets of Harlem. He made a lot of bad "friends" growing up there and regretted a lot of the decisions he made back then.<p>

For better or worse, those decisions toughened him up at the very least. After he was adopted at 15, life was a little better in South Korea but Demond still faced some hardships, at no fault to his adopted parents. Society didn't treat a young black kid who didn't speak much Korean well. He faced a lot of racism and was ostracized often. It was only his love of dancing and rap that kept Demond going, as well as the love from his adopted parents. After he graduated from high school, they enrolled him into a art college where he could learn to dance. What little time he spent there, he loved it, even if it was only for a year.

Demond had a few "friends", but they weren't ones who could be counted on. Due to the way he looked, he attracted the attention of gang members who wanted him to join. Knowing how hard they would make it on him if he didn't join, he reluctantly became a part of their posse. Demond was often forced into petty crime like stealing and robbing empty houses. He didn't like it so he tried to keep his own involvement in it to a minimum.

Since his adopted parents accident, Demond's street dancing kept him busy enough that he didn't have time for gang activities but they would call him up every so often and force him to hang out with them. He didn't like it but he had no choice.

Back at his tiny apartment, Demond gathered the few things he needed for his street performance and headed outside. There, reclining on the wall with a smirk on his face was one of his "friends", Kwan.

"What's up man!" He and Demond exchanged gang handshakes.

"What are you doing here, Hyung?" Demond said softly.

"Listen, me and the boys are gonna hit some places up in Gangnam tonight," Kwan said. "You down?"

Demond quickly tried to think of something. "I'm gonna be busy dancing."

"Yo fuck that shit," Kwan scoffed. "C'mon man, we could use your muscle. Plus, you'll make way more money off this than by fucking dancing."

"I can't...next time."

Kwan stared at Demond for a bit. Clearly he didn't like what he was hearing. But after a while, he just shrugged, saying, "Whatever. Next time then. I'mma hold you to that."

"...Alright."

"Later Dem."

He got lucky this time. Kwan usually doesn't take no for an answer. Kwan and his gang left him alone for the most part, they knew he was busy taking care of Eun Mi, but every once in a while, Kwan would show up and ask for the type of favors you're not supposed to refuse. Demond shook his head and headed out.

The crowd was bigger today but he didn't let that bother him. All he had to do was dance. He moved fluidly through the rhythm of the music. Sweat covered his chest as he twirled in the air. The music ended and suddenly there was a commotion near the back of the crowd. He couldn't hear what they were clammering about so he moved forward to see when a man stepped in front of him. The man clapped and grinned at him. Demond looked him over. He wore a business suit and sunglasses, not the type of person who usually watched him.

"Hi," the business man greeted him.

Demond bowed his head slightly. "Hello."

"Nice dancing there. How long you been doing this type of thing?"

"Dancing? All my life."

"No, dancing on the street...nevermind, doesn't matter. Listen," the man put an arm around his shoulder. "I liked what I saw. I'd like to talk with you about an opportunity."

Demond raised an eyebrow. He didn't particularly like the man's approach, but he did look like he had money... "Okay."

"Come with me."

* * *

><p>Hyoyeon, member of the K-Pop girl group Girls' Generation, was in a van at a stoplight on her way toward a shop she frequented to buy something. She looked out the window towards the people walking in the hot summer sun. She sighed. 'I wish I could do that, it's a nice day out. But I don't feel like dealing with a crowd.' Then, something caught her eye.<p>

A large crowd was formed on the sidewalk, observing something. It was someone dancing, a black man. As he spun around, kicking his legs out, time seemed slow down for her. She could see him spinning in the air with a unique precision and flair. Each movement was smooth yet accurate. Strong, yet light at the same time. Her attention was entirely focused on the magical dance she was witnessing and her heart seemed to freeze. What was it she was watching? She had never seen dancing like this before.

"I have to see..."

Abruptly, she opened the car door and jumped out of the van, rushing towards the crowd.

"Hyoyeon? Wait, where are you going!" her manager called out to her. "Damnit!" He got out of the van and quickly followed her. "I better not get a ticket for this..."

Hyoyeon barely registered her manager's voice, she was too enraptured by the young man's dance. As she was pushing her way toward the front of the crowd to get a better look at the dancer, they begun to notice her.

"Is that Hyoyeon?"

"Oh my god, it's Hyoyeon!"

The front of the crowd noticed and began to turn towards her, trapping her.

"Can I have your signature, Hyoyeon!"

"Hyoyeon, let me take your picture!"

The crowd was no longer paying attention to the dancer and was now focused on her. She tried to push through to get the the young man but the crowd of people wouldn't budge. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable as she smiled nervously at them. "Um, excuse me..."

"Hyoyeon! Hyoyeon!" the crowd clammered.

Behind her, her manager had finally caught up with her and he put an arm around Hyoyeon, trying to block the fans from surrounding her. "C'mon, we gotta go."

Hyoyeon turned to look over her shoulder and saw the dream like dancer walking away with a man in a business suit. "But..." It was too late, though.

* * *

><p>The man in the business suit sipped his coffee in the small cafe. "So, tell me about yourself. What's your name?"<p>

"Demond. Demond Park."

"Nice name. I'm Shin Ryu."

Demond bowed. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Shin bowed back. "Likewise. You showed some nice moves back there."

"Thank you."

"No problemu!" Shin said, switching to some broken English. Back to Korean, he said, "Now, have you ever heard of a company called JYP? Or SM? Or perhaps you know of YG?"

Demond nodded slowly. "Yes..."

"Good. Well, I work for those companies. Or more accurately, with them. I'm a scout for a group of talented artists that supplies dancers for companies like those all around the entertainment industry. We're like a group of mercenary dancers that aid those in need of our services. We call ourselves the Sky Crew."

"Okay..."

"That's where you come in. I can tell your talented and we could use someone of your...urban nature let's put it." Shin paused and took another sip before continuing. "I want you to join the Sky Crew."

Demond's heart skipped a beat. 'Is he for real?' he thought.

Shin grinned. "I can tell your surprised. I'd like to think that I have eye for talent and, like I said, I can tell you got some. How old are you, by the way?"

"Twenty-four."

Shin nodded. "Still young. So what do you think, Demond? Are you up for this?"

This was the opportunity of a life time. To dance professionally, in front of scores of people. But if he was going to do this, one thing was necessary. "...Will I get paid?"

Shin laughed. "Of course. We can work out the details later, but you will be paid. And trained too."

Demond looked down at his knees and saw them shaking with excitement. 'I'm going to be paid to dance. And I get to train again...' He looked up at Shin with fierce eyes, holding out his hand. "I accept your offer, Mr. Ryu."

"Good!" Shin shook his hand. "I knew I had a good feeling about you. You start tomorrow."

Demond blinked. "That soon?"

"That's right. The entertainment industry moves quickly kid, you better get used to it."

* * *

><p>"Eun Mi, I'm home," Demond said as he took of his shoes and slipped into his slippers.<p>

"Hi Oppa," she said, not looking up for the drawing she was doing.

"Eun Mi, come here. I have something to tell you."

She looked up questioningly. "What?"

Demond smiled at her innocent looking expression. "I have some good news. I'm joining a dance company. They're going to pay me."

Eun Mi's eyes brightened. "Yay! Does that mean you won't have to dance on the street anymore?"

Demond nodded. "That's right."

He still couldn't believe it. Demond wasn't superstitious, but he didn't think he was the type of person to catch lucky breaks like this. It was unbelievable that this was happening.

'A dance crew. I get to learn new dances and be with other dancers like me,' he thought to himself. Demond closed his eyes and prayed for the first time in a long time. 'Please God, don't let this be joke. Please let this be real.'

* * *

><p>The next day, around noon, a medium-sized van rolled around the corner of a crowded Seoul street. Inside it, Hyoyeon looked anxiously outside the window as Tiffany, another member of Girls' Generation, laughed at her expression. "So this is where your mystical African dancer was?"<p>

Hyoyeon barely paid her any attention. "Yeah. I'm sure this is where it was. Right, oppa?"

Her manager looked away from the road for a moment and nodded. "Pretty sure."

"Okay, I'm going out to check."

"Be quick. We have a schedule to attend to."

"I know."

This time, Hyoyeon came prepared with a disguise. A surgical mask, sunglasses, and a hat. No one would recognize her. She hopped out of the van and looked around for a little bit before she spotted it. There, a small crowd formed a circle just on the corner next to her. She could hear the hip-hop music reverberating across the street. Hyoyeon quickly made her way over there and before long was at the front of the crowd.

"What?" Hyoyeon said in surprise.

In front of her were three male break dancers but 'He' wasn't there. After they finished their set, she walked up to them and asked, "Excuse me but do you know where the man dancing here yesterday was?"

The male dancer looked at her curiously. "Huh? Yesterday?"

"Yes...um...he was...uh...dark skinned."

"Oh! You mean Demond? Yeah he dances around here a lot but for some reason he's not here today."

Hyoyeon looked disappointed. "Oh...do you know where he is? Or when he'll be back here?"

The dancer shook his head. "Sorry, no idea."

"I see...thank you..."

Hyoyeon made her back to the van. Tiffany noticed her expression and teased, "Aw, your boyfriend wasn't there?"

Hyoyeon glared slightly. "It's not like that. You don't understand. His dancing...you'd get it if your saw it."

"If you say so," Tiffany shrugged.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to our humble little abode!" Shin spread his arms in a sweeping gesture.<p>

Demond looked up at the two-story building, taking it all in.

Shin opened up the entrance door for them and they walked inside. Inside was a young woman at the front typing something on her computer.

"Hey Soo Min."

Soo Min looked up from her typing and nodded at Shin. "Good morning, Shin." She looked questioningly at Demond. "Who's this?"

Shin grinned. "Our new dancer! He's joining us as of today."

Soo Min looked surprised. "Oh, hello there."

Demond bowed and said, "Hello."

"I'm Soo Min."

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. Looks like you brought a cutie this time," Soo Min said, winking at Demond. Demond looked away uncomfortably.

Shin walked past Soo Min and Demond followed. "Alright, see ya Soo Min. I'm going to show him around the place."

"Alright. Oh, by the way, the President wants to see you," Soo Min called out after Shin.

Shin waved her off. "Got it. C'mon Demond."

They went down a long corridor with several glass doors. "Here are the dance studios. Come here and take a peek."

Demond walked up to the door and looked through the glass. There were several dancers there, both male and female, practicing a routine. It looked like they were working hard. Demond's pulse hastened as he watched them. A part of him had still been skeptical about all this but it looks like this was the real deal. Demond could feel himself getting excited.

"I can see your eager to get started but first let me introduce you the President."

Following Shin upstairs, they entered a large office through two double doors where a middle-aged man with slick grey combed back was sitting writing on some papers. Shin knocked on the half-opened door, causing the man to look up and notice the two.

"Shin, good, you're here. I need to talk to you about some things." The man smiled at Demond. "You must be Demond. Welcome. My name is In-Su Seok. Come, sit down."

Demond bowed 45 degrees, saying, "Thank you, sir."

Shin and Demond sat down in front of the President's desk as he tidied up the paperwork. After he was done, he looked up at Demond. "So, Shin told me about you yesterday. He said your an amazing dancer. Is that true?"

"I...well...I've been dancing all my life, sir. But I don't have much formal training."

"He's being modest," Shin interjected. "He's a great dancer already so I can't imagine how he'll turn out with some real training."

"That's good," In-Su said, nodding. "I like that. I like people that have innate talent. That special something which you just can't teach. What we do here at the Sky Crew is refine that special something and turn you into something magical. Does that interest you, Demond?"

Demond nodded. "I'd like to become a better dancer, sir."

"Good. It's important to be determined to get better, to have that motivation." In-Su crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. "Now, what were going to do with you is first see how you take to training and how you react to choreography. Depending on how fast or not you learn, we may then input you into a group as a backup dancer and go from there. Someone of your nature is in high demand here in South Korea. Do you understand what I mean by that?"

"...you mean, because I'm black?"

"That's right. I hope you don't mind but I am blunt person and don't like to dilly-dally around things."

It wasn't often that someone would come right out mention his skin color. Most people were uncomfortable bringing it up and it remained the elephant in the room. Clearly the President was not one of those people.

In-Su continued. "Because your black, you will bring a unique type of atmosphere to the stage. Here in Korea, when we see a black person, we immediately see 'cool'. The people are in love with hip-hop and its culture and we can't get enough of it. That's where you come in. You will take advantage of your heritage and become that 'cool' and 'hip' person for us. Are you comfortable with that, Demond?"

Demond hesitated. Was he being brought in just because he was black? Did it have nothing with his dancing? Was he being pigeon-holed into just being some token black guy? But if being "the black guy" allowed him to do what he loved, then why not? 'Because it feels like I'm selling out,' Demond thought to himself. Demond carefully crafted his next words. "Sir, I...I want to show people my dancing."

The President nodded. "Of course. That's why you're here. Make no mistake, if you couldn't dance, you wouldn't be here. I trust Shin with his assessment. All I'm saying is that you need to play towards your strengths, that you need to play up your image. This is how the entertainment industry works. Some have innocent, cute image. Others go for the bad boy, bad girl image. Some, the sexy, seductress image lends itself well to them. You, my friend, have a 'cool' and 'hip' image. That's just the way it is. Do you understand me?"

Demond nodded slowly. He understood that people in the entertainment industry had to maintain image in order to attract people and it made sense that the way he looked lended itself towards a certain image. It might not be politically correct but he understood that that's just the way things were. People look towards archetypes in order understand things more easily and quickly. "I have an innate image and I'm just playing it up to better communicate with the audience."

"Exactly," In-Su said. "I can tell you're going to fit in at the Sky Crew nicely. Well, that's all for now Demond. If you'll excuse us, I need to talk to Shin about some things. It was good meeting you, young man."

Demond nodded and stood up.

"You can wait downstairs, Demond," Shin called out to him. "I'll be with you in a bit."

"Okay."

Walking downstairs, Demond made his way towards the corridor with multiple dance studios. Curiosity got the best of him, forcing him to peek inside one of the studios through the glass door. A woman stood in front of a group of dancers, both male and female, showing them several moves. She moved like a river with strong purpose. His attention was entirely wrapped up in her dance.

"She's beautiful..." Demond whispered. Several minutes went by and as he was watching, he didn't notice two young women walking up to him.

"Hey, what you doing?" one of them said in English.

Demond turned and saw them. "Oh...um...I'm a new dancer here," he said in Korean.

They raised their eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes. Sir Ryu brought me in."

"Oh really? Interesting. We haven't had any new dancers in a while," the taller woman said. "What's your name?"

"Demond Park."

The smaller woman giggled. "Cute name."

Giving her an admonishing look, the taller woman turned to Demond, saying, "I'm Hy. And this is Cho Hee." Hy looked Demond up and down. "So. I guess this means you're our new maknae. How old are you?"

"Twenty-four," Demond stated.

"Hm. Little old to be a maknae," Hy commented.

Demond hesitated. "Are you a...noona...?"

Hy nodded. "And she's the same age as you."

"Chingu!" Cho Hee said bubbly.

"So when did-" Hy started.

The door to the dance the studio opened then and the dance teacher came out, wiping off her face of sweat with a towel. She quickly glanced over the group and her eyes settled on Demond with suspicion. "This is...?"

"Oh, Unni, he's-"

"New to our group," Shin said, coming downstairs. "I see you've met our new recruit, Demond."

Demond bowed 45 degrees to the dance teacher. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Demond Park."

"I see. My name is Jae Hwa. I'm one of the main teachers and choreographers here at the Sky Crew." Switching to English, she asked, "Are you American?"

Demond nodded.

Jae Hwa held out her hand and he shook it. A handshake was little odd for a female in Korea but he guessed she was doing it because of where he was from. "Nice to meet you," she said in perfect English.

"Noona studied at Berklee College in America for a while," Hy said.

"I saw you watching us from outside a little while ago. Don't do that, I don't like voyeurs," Jae Hwa reprimanded him.

Demond's face heated up. "I...sorry...I didn't mean to-"

Jae Hwa shook her head. "It's not that you can't watch. Just come in next time and sit down. We're a family here."

"I understand."

"Now that we got the pleasantries out of the way," Shin started, "Shall we get down to business?"

Everyone entered the dance studio. The dancers that were there raised an eyebrow Demond. They sat down at the edge of the room and watched.

"First, we'll start with your assessment," Shin said. He turned to the dance teacher. "Jae Hwa?"

She nodded. "What type of training have you had, Demond?"

"I studied for a year an arts college but that's all," Demond said.

"Why only a year?" Jae Hwa asked.

Demond looked around at all the people watching him. "Um..."

Jae Hwa noticed the gesture. "That's alright, you can tell me later. Alright, first let's start with some basics."

Jae Hwa started some simple moves and motioned for Demond to follow along. Demond did so with mechanical precision.

Nodding, Jae Hwa said, "Good. You have good body control. But you need to relax, loosen up your body."

Demond mirrored several more moves. Jae Hwa said, "Still a little tight, but that's alright. You'll get better with some practice, I can tell. Now, I want to see you freestyle. Can you do that for me?"

Demond nodded. "Yes."

"Alright, let's see it."

Shin had a sly grin on his face. "You guys are going to love this..."

One of the dance students turned on some music and Demond started. He did what he always did, just flow with the music. His body moved on its own, following the beat like he was musician. The dance students watched in awe, some with mouths agape. Jae Hwa remained expressionless but was staring intensely at Demond's dance, following every move. Demond poured all his soul into the dance, feeling every move, expressing every beat.

Jae Hwa held up her hand to stop the music. "That's enough."

"That was amazing!" Cho Hee exclaimed. Several other dancers nodded in agreement.

Shin smirked at Jae Hwa. "What'd you think? Pretty good huh?"

Jae Hwa nodded. "It was. It looked like a mixture of popping, breaking, and animation."

Hy had pondering expression on her face. "Animation? What's that?"

"It's a style of popping where you imitate characters being stop-motion animated through tensing your muscles," Jae Hwa explained. "It uses techniques similar to strobing and the robot. We don't see it much here in Korea."

"Awesome!" Cho Hee said.

"Alright kids, break time is over," Jae Hwa said, clapping her hands. "Let's start from the top. Demond, you sit on the side and watch us work for now. Try to get the choreography down in your head."

Demond nodded. The next couple hours were spent watching the dancers learn the choreography. He tried to memorize the moves as best he could and got most of it down. For the most, he was just fascinated to be in this situation in the first place. To watch professional dancers work their magic. It was a dream come true.

Dinner time rolled around and all the dancers took a break, some falling to the floor in exhaustion. Hy, Cho Hee, and Shin were gone already and Jae Hwa had stepped out to talk to the President about something. One of the male dancers came up to him.

"Hey there...Demond was it?"

Demond nodded.

"You like ddeokbokki?" he asked in English.

"Yeah."

"Alright, another order of ddeokbokki!" the dancer said to someone on the phone. He turned back to Demond. "I'm Kwang Ho." He held out his hand with a smile.

Demond took his hand and shook it. "Demond."

"So how long have you been in Korea?" Kwang Ho asked.

"Nine years."

"Oh wow. You speak very good Korean!"

Demond bowed his head. "Thank you. Can I ask how long you've been here?"

"At the Sky Crew? Let's see...about two years now. You're gonna like it here, trust me!" Kwang Ho said enthusiastically. "Where did you learn to dance like that?"

"I watched other dancers when I was younger."

"Cool."

The food came a short while after and Demond spent his time eating while introducing himself to the other dancers. All of them seemed impressed by what they had seen of Demond and were overall kind and warm to him. It wasn't like school or the streets where he was generally ostracized. Perhaps it was because they all had something in common but it felt like a tight knit group of people who shared the same interests. He learned that they were learning choreography to be back up dancers for an upcoming stage of a K-Pop girl group. He didn't know which one.

Soon it was night time and Demond found himself at home, laying in his bed thinking about the events of the day. For the first time in a long while, he felt himself becoming happy. 'I think things are going to be looking up from now on,' Demond thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm not Korean and I don't speak Korean! Please let me know if I'm using any words incorrectly.<p>

Unni – Older sister, used by females

Noona – Older sister, used by males

Chingu – Friend, same age

Oppa – Older brother, used by females

Hyung – Older brother, used by males

Ddeokbokki – Spicy Rice Cake

Kimchi – Spicy cabbage


	2. Chapter 1

Dreams of K-Pop

by Daeyeth

Chapter 1

* * *

><p>"One, two, one, two, one, two, three! C'mon, step it up people!" Jae Hwa directed towards the exhausted dancers. "Alright, break. Five minutes."<p>

Kwang Ho, hands on his knees, looked over at Demond with an exasperated expression. "Geez, she's relentless today."

"Probably because we're going to be going over to DSP Media tomorrow," Demond whispered.

At that mention, Kwang Ho visibly brightened. "How awesome is it we get to work with THE Kara!" he said excitedly. "I've only ever worked boy bands before this. You're lucky to have this as your first gig!"

"Yeah."

Kwang Ho rubbed his hands together. "Oooh man, I can't wait to work with Gyuri! She is so gorgeous! I hope they pair me up with her. Who do you want to be paired up with?"

"Um...I don't know..."

Kwang Ho raised one eyebrow. "You do know who Kara is right?"

"I think I've heard of them, yeah."

"You think?! Dude, you need to start following K-Pop and familiarize yourself with everyone. You're gonna be working with a lot of different artists in the future now that your with us."

"Okay."

"Start watching Inkigayo. That'll be a good start," Kwang Ho said. "I think you'll like it. There's a lot of good dancers in K-Pop. Real pros."

Demond nodded. "Got it."

Jae Hwa clapped her hands twice. "Breaks over people."

Kwang Ho cringed. "Great."

"Demond, you're up front with me this time," Jae Hwa motioned towards Demond. "Watch carefully how we move," she told the dancers.

It had been a month now since Demond had joined the Sky Crew. Right now they were focused on learning choreography that Jae Hwa had crafted for the popular girl group, Kara. Tomorrow, the group will start working with them on the dance before the stage show on various music shows in a couple weeks. The choreography was about the push and pull antics of passionate lovers. The four male dancers are paired a female, with several female backup dancers in the background.

Jae Hwa grabbed Demond's hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Now, watch us and mirror us closely. Pay close attention to how Demond turns me, okay?"

"Yes!" resounded the room.

Dancing with someone else was certainly different for Demond. He had some experience from art college but not much. Demond was a quick learner though and Jae Hwa told him that he had the moves down the best out of everyone. Demond didn't necessarily agree but he respected her opinion. He still wasn't quite comfortable being so close to her. It took some getting used to. He tried to focus on the dancing and nothing else.

"Demond, look me in the eyes more," Jae Hwa commanded. "You're good dancer but you need to remember that you're not the only one dancing here. Move with me."

Demond nodded, a little nervously. "Okay."

Jae Hwa and Demond glided across the room in a twirl. "Good," Jae Hwa said.

'Brown eyes,' Demond thought as he looked at Jae Hwa. 'Beautiful.' He was so wrapped up in her eyes that he almost missed step. He caught himself quickly and hoped she didn't notice.

The dance continued without much of a hitch. The other dancers were following well as they had been practicing for the better part of a month. It was now about refining the dance more than learning the moves.

"Okay, that's it for today. Remember to be here on time tomorrow because we're going to DSP Media early," Jae Hwa said.

The dancers looked relieved and moved to sit down on the floor at the edge of the room. Only a couple dancers left, most stayed. This was routine by now. Everyday, after practice, everyone would stay behind to watch Jae Hwa coach Demond personally. They were mesmerized by what they saw. Demond started out learning the basics from various dance styles and was then taught by Jae Hwa to put the moves together on his own to create his own dance. It was different from free-styling because he had to remember each move he made and then teach them to Jae Hwa. He didn't quite understand why they were doing this.

"So I move like this, and then this?"

Demond nodded.

"I like it. You're a natural at this Demond," Jae Hwa said, displaying one of her rare smiles.

The smile caught Demond off guard as his face flushed. "Th-thank you."

"Nice dance man! I wanna learn too!" Kwang Ho said from the side.

"Same!" commented another dancer.

Demond looked away, uncomfortable at the attention. He was used to dancing in front of people, but once the dance was over he was back to his shy, quiet self.

"That's enough for today," Jae Hwa said. The dancers began to go home one by one until eventually it was just Jae Hwa and he left.

"How does it feel to choreograph your own dance Demond?" Jae Hwa asked him.

"...Good. I feel kind of awkward at times though," Demond stated.

"That will go away with time," Jae Hwa said reassuringly.

Demond hesitated but asked, "Can I ask why we're doing this?"

"Of course," Jae Hwa said, nodding. "Couple reasons. One, it makes you a better dancer. Two, I want to you learn to choreograph so you can teach with me."

"What?!" Demond said, eyes widening. "But I've only just started here! I barely know anything."

Jae Hwa shook her head. "You're a natural. You already know HOW to dance, I'm just teaching you different styles. Do you know what a sindong is, Demond?"

"No..."

"It means prodigy," Jae Hwa said in English. Switching back to Korean, "You're a dance prodigy, you have skills that others take years to learn. In fact, I'd say that BECAUSE no one taught you how dance, you've created your own unique style that the world has never seen before. I want you to show the world your dance."

Demond shook his head. "I'm not ready for something like that..."

Jae Hwa clasped his shoulder and smiled. "You will be."

Demond bowed his head low. "Thank you...for everything."

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Two vans carrying a group of members from the Sky Crew were on their towards the DSP Media headquarters where they would be working with the popular girl group Kara. Kwang Ho turned around in his seat to face Demond who looked like his usual quiet self.<p>

"So, you ready to meet Kara, Demond?" Kwang Ho asked his dance mate.

"Yeah," Demond said rather noncommittally.

Kwang Ho frowned. "C'mon, you gotta be more excited than that! It's Kara man! They're K-Pop stars!"

"Don't get too excited Kwang Ho. Remember, we're professionals," Jae Hwa admonished.

"I know, I know," Kwang Ho said, waving his hand. "It's just that this is pretty big for someone like Demond who only just joined the Sky Crew a month ago. It's amazing how they're fast-tracking you."

A couple of the male dancers exchanged dark looks with one another. Clearly they didn't approve. Demond didn't notice.

"I'm just happy to be here," Demond said.

"Yeah it beats dancing on the street doesn't it?" Kwang Ho said, grinning.

Demond nodded.

They arrived soon after and were exiting the van. Demond looked over the DSP Media headquarters from the outside. It was big. A lot bigger than the Sky Crew stronghold. He wondered what it was like inside.

Jae Hwa cast a side glance at Demond. "You don't look nervous. Most people would be a little rattled for their first time. But not you."

"I get nervous...sometimes..." Demond looked away and thought, 'When I'm dancing with you...'

"Let's go." The band of dancers followed Jae Hwa inside.

A receptionist greeted their entrance. "Hi Jae Hwa. They should be inside practicing right now."

Jae Hwa nodded and walked through.

It wasn't long before they found the dance studio Kara was in. Jae Hwa entered first and was noticed by the girls inside. They were wearing hats, sweats or shorts and looked like they had already been practicing for a while.

"Unni!" said the shorter girl with her hair tied back in a knot. She ran up to Jae Hwa and hugged her.

Jae Hwa smiled and returned the hug. "It's been a while Seungyeon."

The rest of the girls also ran up to Jae Hwa and gave her hug. Demond noted how even though that this was a different company, everyone seemed to know her. 'She must teach a lot of people in the industry,' Demond thought.

Jae Hwa then introduced the dancers to Kara one by until only Demond was left. He noticed they had be casting him sidelong glances his away ever since he entered, likely surprised by his skin color.

"...and this is Demond. He only just joined us a little while ago," Jae Hwa said.

Demond bowed.

"Demond, this is Gyuri, Youngji, Hara, and Seungyeon."

"Nice to meet you," Demond said softly.

They returned the bow towards but he caught their hesitation. Strangers were always put off by him when they first met him. Demond was used to it by now and didn't let it bother him.

"So how have you all been learning the dance? Got it down?"

"A couple parts are a little difficult, but overall I really like the dance Unni," Gyuri said.

"Good. Now let's figure out the formations."

Jae Hwa took some time pair up the other dancers with the Kara members. Kwang Ho was with Seungyeon. Finally, she went to Demond. "Demond, I want you up front with Hara for the first chorus."

Demond nodded and went next to Hara. Demond looked over Hara for the first time. Her long black hair rolled to the mid of her back and she had big, round eyes. 'She looks like a hamster,' Demond noted to himself. Carefully, he wrapped an arm around her waist as they prepared to practice. He felt her tense up and she was avoiding eye contact.

'She seems nervous,' Demond thought. 'I should be gentle with her.'

Jae Hwa stood at the front as the dancers and Kara faced the room length mirrors. Turning on the music, she clapped her hands and said, "Begin!"

The others started the parts as Hara and Demond waited for their turn. The music picked up and it was Hara and Demond's time. With their hands intertwined, Demond swung Hara around slowly and moved his feet along with the beat.

Jae Hwa immediately noticed something as she held up her hand. "Stop. Demond, she a person not a glass figurine. Move with her."

Demond and Hara tried again. This time, Demond did his best to guide her through the movements and hoped she would pick up on the dance cues he was giving. Hara caught on quickly and began flowing through the air with a fluidity.

"Much better," Jae Hwa commented. "Hara, stop looking at the ground. Give him some eye contact."

"Yes, Unni," Hara said obediently.

Demond looked at Hara and this time Hara returned his gaze. She smiled shyly at him. 'She's cute.' Demond caught himself and shook his head internally. 'Focus on the dance.'

Kara and the dancers went through the routine a couple more times. Hara was picking up his cues quicker than before and they were beginning to get a good flow. She was a fast learner. 'So this is what a professional is like,' he thought.

They moved to the next part of routine and soon it came for Demond's short dance solo. This was where Demond was most comfortable, dancing on his own. He immediately picked up the pace and felt the music move through his body. Kara was immediately impressed.

"He's good," Gyuri said in a surprised tone. "Really good."

"He is," Hara said with her eyebrows raised. She had been focusing on her own dancing and didn't really notice his dancing until just now.

Jae Hwa stopped the music. "Let's break for lunch."

The food came quickly and circles began forming. Kara ate in their own little circle while the dancers from the Sky Crew formed their own. Demond grabbed his food went over to the Sky Crew circle when two of the male dancers noticed him and scowled, turning their backs toward him. Demond paused and looked at them emotionlessly before turning away to sit on the bench by himself. Kwang Ho noticed this interaction. He picked up his food and went over to Demond.

"Don't mind them Demond," Kwang Ho said. "They don't like how Jae Hwa is taking the time out to teach you personally. One on one time with the teacher is really valuable. They also don't like how you're already a backup dancer after only a month. It took some of them years before the Jae Hwa finally put them on stage."

"Oh..." Demond look down, a little disappointed. Everyone had been so nice the first couple weeks but he begun noticing a change in behavior for some of them lately. That explains it.

"So..." Kwang Ho leaned in close to Demond and nudged him with a smirk. "How was dancing with Hara?"

Demond thought for a moment before saying, "She's a really good dancer."

"I know, right!"

"How was dancing with Seungyeon?"

Kwang Ho's eyes got starry. "Amazing! I think I'm in love!"

Demond raised an eyebrow. "I thought Gyuri was your favorite?"

"Hey, I don't discriminate when it comes to women. I love them all equally!"

Demond stifled a rare laugh. 'Kwang Ho sure is a character. I'm glad I know someone like him,' he thought to himself.

Practice picked up again and they went through the motions. It was only the first day but since everyone had been learning the dance separately before hand, it was pretty much down to just cutting out the minuet mistakes and moving with their partners.

"Alright, that's it everyone. Sky Crew, remember we're meeting at DSP Media from now on until Kara's comeback is over."

"Okay!" everyone resounded.

Everyone began to file out. Demond started to leave but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned and saw it was Jae Hwa. She smiled at him and said, "You didn't think you could skip out on me this time did you? Choreography practice time."

Demond felt his heart lift. He wasn't sure if there would be personal practice today since they weren't at the Sky Crew building but he was glad there was. Over the month that he had been at the Sky Crew, he begun to cherish their little sessions together. Any time spent with Jae Hwa alone was time well spent.

* * *

><p>Demond opened the door to his small studio apartment. Eun Mi was there watching TV. Inkigayo was on.<p>

'Soon I'm gonna be on there...' The thought was unreal, he still couldn't believe it was happening. "Sorry I took so long Eun Mi. I'll make dinner right away."

Eun Mi turned to him and crinkled her eyebrows. "Where were you Oppa!"

"Sorry, I was practicing" Demond said, "You know, Oppa's going to be on Inkigayo in a couple weeks."

"Really?! With who?"

"With Kara. Do you know who they are?"

Eun Mi's jaw dropped. "Of course! No way, you're lying!"

Demond smiled. "It's true."

"Can I come with you next time?"

Demond froze. He hadn't told anyone at the Sky Crew about his little sister. He didn't know how they'd react. "I don't know if that's a good idea..."

Eun Mi clasped her hands together and did her best impression of a kitten. "Pleaaase!"

"I'll think about it..."

"Yay!"

* * *

><p>Two weeks flew by quickly and soon it was time to start appearing on the various music shows. Inkigayo was up first. The Sky Crew were in one van while Kara was in another up ahead. Once they arrived, Kara's van was surrounded by fans as they each got out one by one. The Sky Crew followed them soon after. The fans paid them no mind.<p>

"Man, they're popular aren't they?" Kwang Ho noted to Demond.

Demond nodded. "They've been around for a while."

"Oh? I see you've been researching pretty well eh," Kwang Ho said.

Demond shrugged. "I figured I should know who I'm working with."

They entered the SBS Open Hall and followed Kara around long winding corridors. Along the way they passed many K-Pop celebrities who all greeted their Kara seniors enthusiastically.

'Beast, T-ara, and I think that was GOT7,' Demond thought to himself. It hadn't taken him long (thanks to Eun Mi) to learn all the acts they would be performing with this week, even though he still didn't know their individual names. 'Eun Mi would be going crazy right about now,' he thought. Up ahead, he noticed a group of girls that caught his eye. 'That's...'

"Hi, Unni!" Hara greeted with a bow.

"Hara!" Girls' Generation member Jessica hugged Hara.

'Girls' Generation,' Demond thought. They had an aura about them that set them apart from the rest of the groups it felt like. The Sky Crew bowed deeply as Girls' Generation passed by them who nodded back politely. One of the blondes of Girls' Generation locked eyes with Demond, he didn't know her name. Demond bowed before continuing on. She didn't return it but rather stood there, frozen for some reason. He didn't understand why. He knew his skin color was surprising but that reaction was a bit much.

As the Sky Crew passed and went into Kara's dressing room, the blonde continued to stare after them.

"Hyoyeon? What's wrong?" Sunny, another member of Girls' Generation, asked.

Hyoyeon didn't move. "That man was..."

* * *

><p>Seungyeon and Youngji sat in front of the dressing room mirrors getting the make-up touched up while Gyuri practiced her lines on the side. Demond was in the corner going over a few of the dance moves when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned and saw Hara looking him over. Noticing she got his attention, she went over to him.<p>

"Jae Hwa said this is your first time on stage," Hara noted.

Demond nodded.

"Are you nervous? I know I was my first time."

Demond shook his head. "I feel comfortable dancing. It puts me at peace."

Hara put her finger on lip, pondering, then nodded. "I know what you mean. You want to go over some of the moves again?"

"Okay."

They practiced the beginning of the routine.

"Put your arm around me like this, remember?" She moved his hand and he pulled her towards him gently. She nodded. "Yeah, better."

She seemed more at ease with him than before Demond noticed.

"So what were doing before the Sky Crew?"

Demond looked away, embarrassed. "I was...dancing on the streets for money..."

That surprised Hara. "Really? Someone as good as you?"

"Yeah..."

"That must have been rough."

"I got by."

An SBS associate entered the room. "Five minutes Kara."

Hara nodded before turning back to Demond. "How do you like the Sky Crew?"

"I like it," Demond said after a pause. "I'm learning a lot."

"Yeah, Jae Hwa's amazing isn't she?"

"Yeah...she is..."

Hara thought she noticed a slight change in Demond's tone but she assumed it was just her imagination.

"Hara? I need to touch up your make-up real quick," one of the makeup artists said.

"Alright, Unni." Hara went to the makeup desk, leaving Demond to his thoughts.

'My first stage...I hope I do well. I have to look good for Eun Mi,' Demond thought.

* * *

><p>Kara and the Sky Crew made their way to the stage. Along the way they passed by Beast who exchanged bows with them. Hara glanced at one of the Beast members who avoided her gaze. Once Beast were gone, Gyuri went up to Hara.<p>

"I can't believe Junhyung is still like that with you," Gyuri said, slightly angered. "You two were together for so long! He should-"

Hara waved her off. "It's fine, Unni. That's just the way he is."

Gyuri turned to Kara's youngest. "Youngji, make sure you never date a celebrity. Nothing good ever comes of it."

Youngji nodded.

"Alright Kara, we're ready for you," one of the stage crew said.

Kara went up on stage followed closely by the Sky Crew. Demond looked at the stage. It was large and extravagant. He looked out towards the audience and a modest yet enthusiastic crowd who held up several Kara signs.

"Hello, we are Kara!" the girl group announced. The audience greeted them with applause and cheers.

Kara did a quick sound check before getting into formation with the Sky Crew.

'This is it...' Demond thought.

The music started thumping and the dancing began. Unlike their practice sessions, Kara was singing live and dancing simultaneously. Thought it was difficult, they did so without a hitch, like true professionals. The fans began their own rehearsed fan chant, calling off the various members of Kara in succession. It added an nice touch to the performance, gave it more energy.

Hara's and Demond's dance number was up soon and he found himself thinking too much in his head. He tried to focus on the dance more, making sure to guide Hara as best he could. Demond pulled Hara in before she pushed him off as part of the act.

'She's really into it,' thought Demond. As for himself, he found that he was still overthinking the moves too much until his dance solo came up. Because it was choreographed, it was different than his street dancing but Demond kept the feeling the same. Very rhythmic and organic, like watching a flower blossom.

He couldn't hear the audience, either because they were silent or because the music was too loud, he couldn't tell. The solo ended and the rest of stage show continued without any problems. As the music ended, Demond cast a glance toward Hara. She was breathing heavily but she didn't let her exhaustion show. She kept her eyes on the camera with a sultry gaze.

The audience clapped and Kara and the Sky Crew took a bow.

"Thank you for your hard work everyone!" Kara said together to the staff.

As Kara and the Sky Crew made their way down the stairs, Demond took one last look at the crowd to gauge their reaction. One audience member stood out to him, towards the back. It was the blonde Girls' Generation member from before. She was looking right at him and Demond took it the wrong way.

'What's with her?' Demond thought, a little annoyed. 'Hasn't she seen a black person before...'

"Demond!"

He turned and looked who it was. Jae Hwa. She had a disturbed look on her face.

"Come here, I need to talk to you. Alone."

Demond felt his heart sink. 'Did I not dance well?'

Demond followed Jae Hwa away from the group until they were alone. "What is it? Did I make a mistake somewhere?"

"What? No, it's not that...listen, I need to tell you some bad news. I figured you should hear it from me first," Jae Hwa said slowly.

"What?"

"It's the marketing team for DSP Media. They don't want you to be up front with your own solo. They said it messes up Kara's image, those racist assholes!" Jae Hwa cursed.

It wasn't what he thought. It was worse. He had thought he was used to being rejected by society but apparently not. This hurt. Demond looked up towards Jae Hwa with hopeful eyes. "Do I...do I still get to dance with Kara?"

Jae Hwa hesitated. "Yes, but they're going to be telling all the broadcasting stations to cut you out of as many shots as possible. If it wasn't for the fact that no dancer could replace you in such a short amount of time, they'd have you off the stage completely."

An empty filling began stirring in his stomach. He felt sick. "I see...thanks for telling me, Noona."

She could could tell he was really hurt and her gaze softened. "I'm so sorry Demond...how about I take you out for some food and we work on your choreography at the Sky Crew? It'll make you feel better."

Demond looked down towards the ground, a sad expression on his face. "No thanks...I'm just gonna go home if that's okay with you."

She started to reach out to him but pulled back, thinking otherwise. "That's fine. Try not to get too worked up over this, okay?"

"Yeah..." Demond left with his shoulders slumped. Jae Hwa stared after him sadly.

* * *

><p>'This is it...I'm going to meet him finally,' she thought. Hyoyeon took a deep breath. She knocked on the door to Kara's dressing room before going in.<p>

"Hyoyeon!" Gyuri said. "We were just about to go over and say hi!"

Hyoyeon smiled at everyone who greeted her cheerfully. "Hey. How's the comeback?"

"Good!" Gyuri said. "How have you been?"

"Great," Hyoyeon said. Hyoyeon chatted with Kara for a bit, catching up with each other while she sneakily looked around the room. Where was he? "Hara, where's that man who was dancing with you earlier?"

Hara looked questioningly at Hyoyeon. "Hm? Oh, you mean Demond?"

Hyoyeon nodded, acting as if that was the first time she had heard his name before.

"Hm, I don't know...he went off with Jae Hwa-Unni after the stage."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"Oh nothing, I just wanted to compliment him on his dancing," Hyoyeon said.

Hara smiled. "I know, he's good isn't he!"

"I've got to back. Good luck with your activities this week," she said, waving goodbye.

Nodding, Hara said, "You too Unni!"

* * *

><p>"Oppa, you're back!" Eun Mi said cheerily to him.<p>

Demond tried to smile. "Hey there."

"Did you get to dance with Kara today?" she asked innocently.

He had forgotten he told he was recording today. "Yeah, I did, but..."

Eun Mi looked at him questioningly.

Demond tried to think of an excuse. "...I probably won't come out on TV much because I'm not the main focus as a backup dancer."

"Oh..." Eun Mi said, disappointed.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

'I'm not expecting anyone...who could it be?' Demond thought. He went to the door and opened it. It was Kwang Ho. He had a serious expression on his face.

Putting a hand on Demond's shoulder, Kwang Ho said, "I heard about what happened. I'm so sorry man."

Demond shook his head. "It's fine...it was my first time on stage anyways. I can't expect much."

Kwang Ho clenched his fist and said darkly, "No, man, they wronged you! I can't believe they- er...hello there?"

Behind, Eun Mi clutched the back of his shirt and stared at Kwang Ho with giant eyes. Demond had forgotten she was here.

"You have a kid?!" Kwang Ho exclaimed.

"No, this is my little sister. Eun Mi, say hi."

"Hi," she said shyly.

Kwang Ho crouched down to her level and smiled at her. "Hi there. I'm a friend of your Oppa's."

Demond added, "This is Kwang Ho. He dances with me at the Sky Crew."

At that mention, Eun Mi's eyes lit up. "Oh! Hi, I'm Eun Mi!"

Kwang Ho did the robot and moved his hand mechanically to shake hers. "Nice. To. Meet. You. Eun. Mi," he said in a robotic voice.

Eun Mi giggled. "You're funny!"

Demond smiled at their interaction and he felt his mood lighten a little. "How did you find out where I live?" he asked Kwang Ho.

"I asked Shin," Kwang Ho replied. "I figured you could use a friend after what happened..." his voice drifted off.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it. Why don't you stay for dinner?"

Kwang Ho grinned. "Free food? I'm down!"

* * *

><p>The next day they were off to record at another music show, Music Bank. Once they got to the dressing room, all of Kara came up to him with serious expressions. Demond looked at them curiously, wondering what was up.<p>

"Demond..." Gyuri started.

"Yes?"

"We heard what our marketing team did to you. I want you to know we had nothing to do with it," Gyuri said sincerely.

"We aren't like that!" Seungyeon said. "We'd never discriminate against someone!"

"Thanks. It's okay..." Demond said softly.

Hara had a determined look on her face. "No, it's not okay!" she said. "As soon as we heard, we immediately went to our president and told him how we felt. We told him that you deserved to be seen and that it was wrong of us to cut you out!"

This surprised Demond. He didn't think Kara would care that much about a backup dancer. "Really?"

"Yup," Hara nodded.

"We have some good news!" Youngji exclaimed.

"Apparently, our president had no idea this was happening, it was done completely by the marketing team," Gyuri explained. "He told us that he'd contact all the broadcasting stations and would reverse the order that was given to edit you out."

"Not only that but he's going to fire whoever was responsible on the marking team!" Seungyeon told him.

Hara rushed up and hugged him. "Isn't that great Demond!"

Demond was in shock. "Wow..." Bowing the full 45 degrees, Demond said in a low tone, "Thank you...thank you for sticking up for me..."

"Of course!" Hara said joyfully. "Now let's show Korea how we dance, together!"

Demond smiled. 'Now Eun Mi can see me. There are some good people in the entertainment industry.'

* * *

><p>With renewed energy, Demond danced with all his heart. 'I'll show Korea my dancing,' he thought. Kara and the Sky Crew finished the routine perfectly and showed no mistakes. As he walked off the stage, someone came up to him.<p>

"Hello."

He looked up and saw that it was the blonde Girls' Generation member who had been staring at him oddly. "Hi," he replied.

Wearing a resolute expression, Hyoyeon said, "I want you to teach me."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm not Korean and I don't speak Korean! Please let me know if I'm using any words incorrectly.<p>

Unni – Older sister, used by females

Noona – Older sister, used by males

Chingu – Friend, same age

Oppa – Older brother, used by females

Hyung – Older brother, used by males


	3. Chapter 2

Dreams of K-Pop

by Daeyeth

Chapter 2

* * *

><p>"I want you to teach me."<p>

"Excuse me?" Demond blinked.

"Er, sorry, where are my manners," Hyoyeon stumbled. "I'm Hyoyeon of Girls' Generation."

Demond bowed at her slowly. "Demond. I recently joined the Sky Crew."

"I saw you dancing on the street about a month and a half ago. You're really amazing," Hyoyeon complimented.

'Is this why she was staring me?' he wondered. "Thank you."

"I've never seen anyone dance like that! Please, will you teach me?" Hyoyeon asked. She had a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Um...I've never taught anyone before..." This was a strange situation. Here she was, from the biggest girl group in Korea and she wanted HIM to teach HER? "You have a lot more experience than me, Ms. Hyoyeon..."

"Just call me Hyoyeon. Can I ask how old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

"Me too! Chingus then." Smiling at him, Hyoyeon held out her hand.

He shook it cautiously. "Chingu," he replied.

"So, will you teach me?" she asked once again, fervently.

If Demond remembered correctly, Hyoyeon was well-known for being one of the premier dancers of the K-Pop industry. It was a great opportunity to dance with someone like that, he could learn a thing or too. What did he have to lose? "Okay."

Hyoyeon's face visibly brightened. "Great! When are you free?"

'Let's see, Music Core is tomorrow but the day after that, Eun Mi is off school,' he thought. Demond didn't want her to be alone by herself all day. Unless...

"Do you mind if I bring my little sister along? I have to take care of her," Demond said.

"Little sister?" Hyoyeon said, surprised. But she nodded quickly after. "Of course!"

"Okay, let's meet the day after tomorrow. Where and when shall we meet?"

"How about at noon at SM Entertainment?" she wondered.

"Where's that?"

Hyoyeon gave him the address.

"Okay."

"Great! See you then." Hyoyeon waved goodbye and went off backstage.

Demond pondered on the event that had just occurred. 'Girls' Generation Hyoyeon...I'm going to be teaching her. This is strange.' His life had certainly been turned upside down since joining the Sky Crew. Demond thought that that was a good thing.

* * *

><p>The recording of Music Core came and went without any problems and soon it was time to meet Hyoyeon at the appointed time. It was somewhat far so Eun Mi and Demond had to take a bus to get to the neighborhood. Eun Mi carried a backpack with a few of her things so she could work on her homework while they were there.<p>

"You excited to meet Hyoyeon?" Demond asked his little sister.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Ya!"

They arrived at SM Entertainment. It was bigger than he expected. 'Well, it is one of the top companies of Korea,' he thought. They walked through the entrance and were greeted by the receptionist.

"Hello."

"Hi," Demond greeted her. "I'm here for Hyoyeon."

"Oh, yes, she said you would be coming," the receptionist said. "Go right through. It's on the third floor, second door on your left."

"Okay, thanks."

As they took the elevator and walked down the corridor, a young man with shoulder length hair passed them. He nodded at Demond who returned it with a bow. The young man noticed Eun Mi. Smiling at her, he waved before continuing on. Eun Mi stared after him with large eyes.

Demond looked at his little sister. "Did you recognize him?"

"Yeah, that was Heechul! Wow!"

He thought the man looked familiar. Heechul, a member of one of the top boy bands of Korea, Super Junior. They'd been performing for as long as Demond had been in Korea. He remembered his classmates had been crazy for them in high school.

Demond looked around. "Second door on our left...this should be it." Demond opened the door to the dance studio and went in, followed closely by Eun Mi. Hyoyeon was already there, stretching herself out. She noticed them and waved.

"Demond! You made it," Hyoyeon said cheerily. "This must be your little sister. Hi there."

He nodded. "This is Eun Mi. Eun Mi, this is-"

"-Hyoyeon-Unni! Hi!" the little girl greeted eagerly. "I'm a super big fan of yours!"

Hyoyeon smiled. "Why thank you."

"Can I get your autograph? Pleaaase?"

"Of course. Do you have something you want me to sign?"

"Yup!" Eun Mi opened her backpack and pulled out a Girls' Generation CD Demond had got her for her birthday. Hyoyeon signed it and Eun Mi clutched it to her chest, hugging the life out of it.

Hyoyeon turned to Demond. "So, where do we start?"

Demond hesitated. "I was hoping you could tell me. I've never taught anyone before."

"I'd like to learn the style of dancing you were doing on the streets when I first saw you," she said. "That was animation, right?"

He nodded. "If you know how to pop you should be able to learn it pretty quickly."

"Awesome, let's start."

"I'll show you the basics first." Demond showed her a couple simple animation moves and told her try it. Hyoyeon imitated as best she could.

He nodded to himself. "Pretty good. Try to tense your muscles more."

She moved her body in a segmented wave. "Like this?"

"Yeah. Have you done this before?"

"I did it in school, but I don't get to use it often in Girls' Generation."

Demond showed Hyoyeon a couple more moves who followed along closely. Eun Mi was watching, completely forgetting about her homework, and clapped from time to time.

"Let's try it with some music now," Demond said. He went over to the stereo and turned it on. "I'll show you a freestyle so you get the gist of what the moves look like when they're strung together."

"Got it," she said, looking on with intense eyes.

Demond started his free dance, moving his body like a puppet on strings. Every beat was enunciated with a tense of the muscles, every swing of the music complimenting a change in movement. It was the first time he had heard the song and yet Demond was dancing to it perfectly, all on the fly. Hyoyeon stood by in awe. "Wow."

Eun Mi had a big smile on her face. "He's good huh!"

"Yeah I'll say..." Hyoyeon said, breathlessly.

Demond, while staying in character, gestured towards Hyoyeon extravagantly, signaling her turn. Not to be upstaged, Hyoyeon quickly caught on and began dancing to flow of the music. She strung together a couple of animation moves she had just learned before evolving the dance into a mixture of other dances she was familiar with. She did this seamlessly and it came out looking like a dance that was completely choreographed.

Demond was thoroughly impressed. It made him happy to see her keep up, executing moves he had only just taught her moments earlier. 'I wonder if this is how Jae Hwa-Noona feels teaching me?' he thought.

The music ended with Demond and Eun Mi clapped spiritedly.

"That was really good Ms. Hyoyeon," Demond said.

"Thanks. And I told you, just call me Hyoyeon! You don't need to be so formal with me. We're chingus remember?" Hyoyeon admonished.

"Alright...Hyoyeon."

"Better," she said with a smile.

He realized Eun Mi was still watching them. "Show's over Eun Mi. Time to do your homework."

Eun Mi pouted. "Aww, okay."

As they took a breather, Hyoyeon asked, "How long have you been with the Sky Crew?"

"A month and a half," Demond replied.

Hyoyeon blinked. "And you're already a backup dancer?"

Demond scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. I guess Jae Hwa-Noona has a lot of faith in me."

"Oh, Jae Hwa-Unni! I've worked with her before," Hyoyeon commented. "You have a good a mentor."

Demond agreed.

"So you were just dancing on the streets before the Sky Crew?" she asked.

"Yeah..."

Hyoyeon shook her head. "I can't believe that. Someone as good as you doing that..."

Shrugging, Demond said, "I didn't have a choice. I have to take care of Eun Mi." He ruffled Eun Mi's hair.

"I understand."

Demond changed the subject. "How long have you been dancing Ms- er, Hyoyeon?"

"Most of my life. I started dance training when I was in elementary school." Hyoyeon pondered for a moment. "SM picked me up when I was around...11 I think. And I've been with them ever since."

"Do you like it here?"

"I can't complain. They've taken good care of me ever since I was kid and Girls' Generation has been the opportunity of a life time. It's just that..." she hesitated.

"What is it?"

"Well, it's just that I don't always get dance the styles that I want to because I'm with them," Hyoyeon said. "In the beginning, all our dances were very girly and feminine and it was very hard for me."

Demond nodded along. He couldn't imagine being forced to dance in styles that he wasn't fond of, although he supposed that may change now that he was in the Sky Crew.

"It's only been last couple of years that our dance style has changed to suit me more."

"That's good."

"What about yourself?" Hyoyeon asked. "Have you always been dancing the same style all these years?"

"When you put it that, I guess I haven't been doing much."

Hyoyeon shook her head quickly. "I didn't mean it like that. You're absolutely amazing at what you do. But it's good to branch out, especially when you're as talented as yourself. You might learn new things that you didn't know before and it might inspire you."

"True."

They talked a bit more about other styles of dancing they enjoy or would like to try. Demond found it very easy to talk to Hyoyeon, they had a lot in common. He wondered if should ask her about something he'd thought of earlier. Why not?

"I was wondering Hyoyeon..." Demond started.

"Yes?"

"...Um, could you teach me some Girls' Generation dances?" Demond asked timidly. Jae Hwa had told him that he should not only learn how to dance like a man but how to dance like a woman as well. She said that it would expand his horizons and make him a better dancer.

Hyoyeon smiled. "Of course!"

* * *

><p>"Did you have fun Eun Mi?" Demond asked his little sister as they made their way back home.<p>

"Yeah!" Eun Mi said bubbly. "When do we get to see her again?"

"Next week."

"Yay!"

As they turned the corner, Demond suddenly grabbed Eun Mi and held her back as he spotted someone. It was Kwan and a couple of his gang friends. It looked like they had just returned from his apartment. They just missed him. He was lucky.

"Isn't that your friend?" Eun Mi asked innocently.

"Shh, keep your voice down. Yeah, that's him."

"Why don't you want to see him?"

"...It's complicated. Eun Mi, make sure your friends are good people, okay? You don't want to get mixed up in the wrong crowd."

She didn't quite understand but she nodded anyways. "Okay."

* * *

><p>It was a rare off-day for Demond Park. Lately, he had been really busy with the Sky Crew, especially now that they were promoting with Kara. Before that, he had spent every day dancing on the street because he couldn't afford not to. Now, he had the luxury to take a day off for once. It was then that Demond realized he didn't have any real friends. Other than Kwan and his gang, he had no one he hung out and he was alone with Eun Mi for most of the time. Though the last couple years that was due to the harsh circumstances, he realized that when he was going to school, he hadn't been able to connect with anyone either.<p>

At first, it was due to the language barrier. When Demond first moved to South Korea, he understood very little Korean and few made an effort to communicate with him in English. Eventually, he just got used to being alone and built a shell around himself. Rather than get hurt being rejected trying to make new friends, he kept to himself and tried not to bother anyone.

'Maybe it's time I get out of my shell,' Demond thought to himself. 'I should call Kwang Ho.'

Just then, his cellphone rang. Not many had his number so he wondered who it could be.

"Hello?"

"Hi Oppa!"

"...Who is this?"

He heard a giggle. "It's me, Hara!"

'That's right, I gave her my number when she asked for it the other day,' Demond recalled. "Oh, um, hi Hara."

"Hey! Where are you?" Hara asked.

"I'm at home."

"Perfect! I remembered you told me you lived around here and me and Seungyeon were in the neighborhood. Do you want to get a cup of coffee with us?"

A K-Pop star was asking him to hang out with him? This was unreal. 'Why do they want to hang out with me?' He then realized that K-Pop stars probably didn't have a chance to meet many people outside the industry and as a result, a lot of their friends ended up being fellow colleagues.

'Eun Mi's at school so I don't really have a reason not to...if this was Kwang Ho, he'd be jumping at the chance.' He turned his attention back to the call. "Okay."

"Great!" Hara happily said. "Come to the cafe around the corner from your place. You know where I'm talking about?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, see you soon!"

Demond grabbed his keys and was about to head out when he looked at what he was wearing. 'I should probably wear something a little nicer.' It wasn't often he had to think about what he was wearing. Dance practice was done in casual clothes and the wardrobe managers provided the clothes for dancing on stage.

He changed to slim pants as opposed to his usual baggy ones and wore a plaid long sleeve. Taking a look at himself in the mirror, Demond said, "I guess I look nice," and headed out.

The closer Demond got to the cafe, the more nervous he felt himself getting. It was unusual for him not to be doing something related to dance, where he was comfortable. In addition, he was meeting two beautiful K-Pop stars that any guy would die to be with.

'What am I supposed to say? What'll we talk about?' Demond thought anxiously. He had little experience in making small talk and even lesser experience in talking to girls.

He arrived at the cafe with his thoughts still a jumble. Looking around, he spotted them quickly. They were sitting a small table wearing hats with no makeup on. No one recognize them unless they took a long look. They spotted him and waved him over.

"Demond!" Seungyeon said.

Hara smiled at him. "Hi Oppa!"

"Hey."

As it turns out, he didn't have to do much talking. They carried the conversation for the most part, which helped calm him down, and occasionally asked for his opinion. They talked about what dramas they were watching, fashion, what was new in the entertainment industry, among other things. They were just regular girls when it came down to it. He guessed they just wanted to hang out with someone other than their fellow Kara members and he would make out fine just as well as anyone.

"Let's ask a guy's opinion. Demond, does this guy look like a playboy?" Seungyeon asked, showing him a picture on her phone.

Demond gave the picture a quick look. "He looks like someone the girls swoon over."

"See!"

"He didn't say a playboy, he just said someone the girls like!" Hara argued.

"Pfft, same thing. Right, Demond?" Seungyeon winked at him.

Demond smiled. He liked this. The girls were nice and had a fun energy about them.

"Demond would know. I bet he has girls swooning over him all the time!" Seungyeon said in a sly tone.

Hara looked at him dubiously. "Is that true, Oppa?"

"No...I don't know many girls."

"What? Really?" Hara said. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. I've...I've never had a girlfriend before..." Demond admitted, blushing.

"No way!" Seungyeon exclaimed.

Hara shook head in a 'tsk, tsk' manner. "Well, we'll change that! We should introduce him to someone!"

Seungyeon nodded in agreement.

"What type of girls do you like?" Hara asked.

"Um..." Demond thought for a moment. "Someone nice...someone caring...someone who I could be good friends with."

"Sounds like me!" Seungyeon said with a laugh.

"Oh stop it!" Hara reprimanded jokingly. She turned to Demond. "Would you go out Seungyeon-Unni?"

"Uh..." Demond's face was now fully red. "I-I guess, yeah, sure."

The two Kara members laughed together. He had feeling they were having some fun at his expense. Soon, he too was joining in on their laughter. It was rare of him to laugh, but it felt good.

* * *

><p>"See you at M Countdown tomorrow, Demond!" Seungyeon said.<p>

Hara waved. "Bye Oppa!"

He waved back.

Demond made his way back towards his apartment. Today went well. He felt like he had made some new friends for once.

"There's my little bro. Dem, the K-Pop star."

Demond froze. Kwan, with a couple of his gang members, was there in front of his apartment. As usual, Kwan had a smirk on his face. He walked up to Demond and put an arm around his shoulders.

"I saw you on TV yesterday and I just knew I had to hit you up. Why didn't you tell me you had become a backup dancer? That's great man," Kwan said, smiling. It wasn't a warm smile.

"Thanks..." Demond said cautiously.

"You gotta hook me up with some of that K-Pop pussy now that you're a big star!" Kwan's gang members laughed.

"..." Demond said nothing.

Kwan tightened his grip. "Relax bro, I'm just joking. Lighten up! Anyways, me and the boys found this sweet place a couple blocks from here. They're loaded and ain't no one in there." Kwan licked his lips. "Perfect for us. You coming right?"

"...Okay," Demond said softly. He had no choice.

Kwan released his hold. "That's the spirit! Let's hit it, boys."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm not Korean and I don't speak Korean! Please let me know if I'm using any words incorrectly.<p>

Unni – Older sister, used by females

Noona – Older sister, used by males

Chingu – Friend, same age

Oppa – Older brother, used by females

Hyung – Older brother, used by males


	4. Chapter 3

Dreams of K-Pop

by Daeyeth

Chapter 3

* * *

><p>"C'mon, hurry up." While one of the gang members gave him a foothold at the bottom, Kwan, sitting atop of the wall surrounding their target house, pulled up Demond over. "Cha Hae, you go to corner and keep a watch out," Kwan said to the gang member at the bottom. Cha Hae nodded and left.<p>

It was Kwan, Demond, and Lee Seung, a member of Kwan's gang. They circled the house, checking it out first.

"Hyung, check it out," Lee Seung said. He lead them to a glass window that lead right to the house's living room.

"Perfect." Kwan pulled out of a hammer out of his backpack. "Let's do this." With a fierce swing, Kwan smashed the window open in one go. Immediately afterwards, Kwan held a finger to his mouth and looked around cautiously. It was night time and they were looking to see if any lights would turn on, either in the house or the surrounding neighbors. Nothing. "Alright." He stuck his hand through the window, undid the latch, and opened it.

Kwan and Lee Seung crawled in. Demond hesitated for a moment.

"Hurry up mother fucker, get in!" Kwan commanded to him harshly in a hushed voice.

Demond crawled through.

Once they were in, Kwan and Lee Seung began searching the drawers for any valuables. They found a few nice watches right off the bat. "Sweet," Lee Seung said.

"I told you this place loaded. Dem, you stay down here and keep looking while we check upstairs."

Demond nodded, albeit uncomfortably. His heart was racing. This wasn't the first time he had joined Kwan in burglary, but he always anxious when they went. The thought of being caught and having Eun Mi taken away from him terrified him. Not only that, but things had changed for him. Demond no longer needed the money and his life was beginning to straighten up. Demond shook his head and tried to distract himself away from the anxiety.

The young dancer looked around the room slowly. Certainly, what Kwan had said about the place was true. There was nice furniture everywhere and it looked like the family was well off. A picture on the shelf caught his attention. Demond walked over and picked it up. It was a picture of the family. The dad was smiling and had an arm around his daughter while his wife leaned against him adoringly.

Demond felt his gut wrench. 'They have a little girl...'

What could he do? Turning himself in was a big no, he couldn't let them take away Eun Mi. Could he call the police anonymously and get Kwan caught? But what if Kwan evaded them? Kwan would know immediately that Demond had ratted him out and who knows what he would do to Demond then.

Kwan and Lee Seung came rushing downstairs. "Yo, let's roll. We got the goods. They had a shitload of jewelry just sitting there those stupid fucks. You find anything Dem?"

Demond shook his head.

"Whatever, we got what we came for."

The three crawled through the window and hopped the wall.

* * *

><p>Today he was bringing Eun Mi to recording. After thinking long about it, Demond decided he wanted to share a big part of his life with his fellow colleagues. That and Eun Mi had been practically begging him to bringing her for the last week. Kara and the Sky Crew arrived at the CJ E&amp;M Center Studio where M Countdown was recorded. Eun Mi was riding with the Sky Crew (he had gotten permission from Jae Hwa beforehand).<p>

"Get ready for a crowd, Eun Mi!" Kwang Ho told her. As typical, the fans vigorously greeted Kara as they exited the van.

"Wow, that's a lot of people! Are they all fans?" Eun Mi asked.

"Yup," Kwang Ho said.

Demond stepped out with Eun Mi and went to follow Kara when a young woman came up to him with a smile. "Hi Demond! I look forward to your performance today!"

Demond blinked as he went inside. 'She knows my name?'

Kwang Ho nudged Demond. "You got an admirer, lucky you," he said, winking.

"Wow! My brother has fans!" Eun Mi said excitedly.

His first fan. For some reason, this felt special. When Demond was street dancing, he'd had people complimenting his dancing before but to compliment him on a choreographed dance was different. He felt like he was more of a performer that was doing the source material justice. As he got more comfortable with the dance, Demond had began trying to add little touches or accents to the choreography that he often wondered if anyone noticed. Perhaps they did, he thought with a happy smile.

As the Sky Crew walked through corridors, they passed by Infinite who Eun Mi recognized.

"Hi Hoya-Oppa!"

Hoya, a member of the popular boy band Infinite, returned the smiled and waved. "Hi there."

They entered Kara's dressing room. It didn't take long for Kara to notice there was a little girl with them.

"Who's this little cutie, Demond?" Gyuri asked, smiling at Eun Mi.

"Hi Gyuri-Unni!" Eun Mi had an amazed expression on her face. "You're really pretty!"

"Thank you!"

Demond put a hand on Eun Mi's head. "This is my little sister, Eun Mi. Eun Mi, this is Gyuri, Seungyeon, Youngji, and Hara."

They greeted her cheerfully.

Demond had an apologetic look on his face. "I hope you don't mind."

"We don't mind, Oppa," Hara said. "I love little girls!"

Demond then went to introduce her to the staff before they got down to business, with Kara and the Sky Crew taking turns getting their makeup done. Demond still wasn't used to wearing makeup but thankfully they didn't put too much on him. Due to his dark skin tone, they kept the makeup very light and natural looking and it seemed to compliment his features well.

He noticed Eun Mi staring at him. Demond, careful not to move his face as the makeup artist worked, looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Do I look silly?"

Eun Mi shook her head. "You look prettier!"

Hara giggled, hearing the comment. Hara and Youngji went over Eun Mi. "So what do you think of the backstage area?" Hara asked. "Pretty neat huh?"

"Ya! There's lotsa famous people here too!" she replied.

"You should ask your oppa to take you to the stage after he's done with his makeup," Youngji said. "You'll get to see everyone perform."

"Really?!" Eun Mi turned to Demond with puppy dog eyes. "Can we?"

Demond nodded. "Of course."

"Yay!"

"Cute little sister you got," Gyuri remarked.

"Thanks. She's my life," Demond said sincerely.

With his makeup finished, Demond took Eun Mi to the stage area where they could watch the performances in the stands. As Eun Mi watched on zealously, Demond studied the acts. He found himself admiring certain performers and analyzing them. Watched their moves carefully, he thought about how he could incorporate some of theirs skills into his own dances. One thing that stood out to him was how they would play the camera and constantly make eye contact with it.

'I need to do that more. It'll help me connect to the audience more,' Demond thought.

When it was time for Kara's stage, Demond brought Eun Mi back to Kara's dressing room. "Stay here until we're done okay?"

"Okay!" Eun Mi said.

"Will you watch over her, Noona?" he asked one of the makeup artists who nodded.

"Certainly."

Kara and the Sky Crew made their way to the stage, greeted the audience, and got into position. The music started and they begun. Over the course of the last three weeks, Hara and Demond had developed a rapport between one another. They picked up on each other's cues instantly now and knew what move each other was going to make before they did it. It was enjoyable to dance with someone else Demond found himself thinking.

'Especially Hara,' he thought.

As Demond's solo rolled around, the crowd begun cheering, surprising him. It taken a bit but the fans had grown to appreciate and enjoy Demond's dance solos. This energized him and made Demond want to put on a better show. Finishing his dance, Demond twirled around, stopped, and gave the camera a charismatic stare. It was the first time he had done this and, to be honest, it was a little embarrassing. A couple fans cheered.

'At least the audience enjoyed it,' thought Demond.

Kara and the Sky Crew finished their performance and the audience clapped. The girl group said their usual thank yous before exiting the stage. Demond was last exit and as he did so, the next act, boy band GOT7, passed him.

One of the GOT7 members, Jackson, gave him a head nod. "Nice dancing man," he said in English.

Demond bowed, replying in English, "Thanks."

It felt like he was getting more recognition lately, thought Demond. It felt good to be complimented by fellow colleagues. Performers in the K-Pop industry were relentlessly hard workers, if Kara and the Sky Crew were any example, and he appreciated their comments more because of that.

They made their back to Kara's waiting room where Eun Mi was waiting.

As soon as they came in, Eun Mi beamed and bowed. "Thank you for your hard work!" she said.

"Waaah, adorable!" Seungyeon squealed.

Demond smiled. "Where did you learn that?"

"Noona taught me!" she admitted, gesturing towards one of the makeup artists. "Did you dance good Oppa?"

"I hope so. You'll be able to see it on the TV in just a moment," Demond said.

"Yay!"

The performance soon came up on the monitor and everyone watched. Kara often surveyed their own performances, critically noting any mistakes they made on stage in an effort to remember not to repeat it. It had taken a bit for Demond to get used to, watching himself on TV, as it was strange at first. 'Is that what I look like dancing?' he had thought. Now, he used it to become a better dancer without any trepidations.

"...my grip was too loose. I almost let you slip," Demond noted as he watched.

"Yeah," Hara agreed. "Hold me tighter next time. You don't need to be shy around me anymore," she said, nudging him in the side gently without taking her eyes off the screen.

A bit later, Kara's managers came by and gave everyone a few snacks. They still had to attend the awards ceremony so they were all was just waiting in the meanwhile.

"Mmm, this one's good! Oppa, try this!" Hara told Demond.

"Okay." Demond was about to reach for one of the tiny cookies when Hara moved to put one in his mouth. Demond looked at the cookie, surprised, and felt his face heat up. 'Does she want me to eat out of her hand?'

He cast a glance at Hara. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to eat the cookie, but otherwise showed no signs that this was anything other than her being friendly. 'Is this normal?' he thought. He had seen Korean reality shows where the girls often fed their friends by hand and occasionally other guys. But usually, this was between two people who were close. Were Hara and he that close already?

Demond gulped and opened his mouth. She popped the cookie in without a second thought and went back to eating.

"It-It's good," he stuttered.

"I know right," Hara agreed, completely oblivious to Demond's thoughts.

Demond felt his face was red and turned away from Hara, hoping she didn't notice. 'Calm down. She's just being nice.'

"Mmmph mmph mmm!" came Eun Mi's untranslatable words. Her cheeks were full of cookies, doing her best imitation of a chipmunk.

Gyuri giggled. "I think your sister like's them too."

An Mnet associate chose that moment to intrude. "Kara, the awards ceremony will take place now."

"Okay!" Kara resounded.

* * *

><p>"And this week's winner is..." Jae-hyun and Joon-young, the M Countdown presenters, said together, "Kara!"<p>

Inside Kara's dressing room, Eun Mi jumped up joyfully. "Yay!"

Kwang Ho pumped his fist. "Yes!" He turned Demond. "We did it man!"

'We?' Demond thought. 'Well, I guess we are part of their act.' Regardless, Demond was happy for them.

"We just want to thank Jae Hwa for making such a great dance, our producers, our fans, and our wonderful backup dancers for supporting us so well," Gyuri said on the television.

"Hey, she mentioned us!" Kwang Ho said.

As Kara gave an encore performance on the monitor in celebration, Kwang Ho eyes looked a little envious. "Man I wish I could be up there with them to accept the award. Just once."

"But we're just backup dancers," Demond said in return.

Kwang Ho showed a rare flash of anger. "We're not JUST backup dancers Demond. You only just became a backup dancer recently so I know you're not expecting anything, especially considering your background, but you should know how rare it is for backup dancers to ever get mentioned in an awards acceptance speech."

Demond hesitated for a second being speaking up. "You're right, I don't really know how everything works yet...but I thought we were there to support Kara? We're not the main characters. Kind of like how a background artist for animations are there to provide backgrounds that will support the characters. Even though it's the animation that gets lauded and the backgrounds forgotten, the characters wouldn't work without the support of the backgrounds."

Kwang Ho felt his anger drain away. "Yeah...that makes sense. I'm being greedy. It's just that...that should be ME up there. I'M the one that was supposed to be one of the main characters and not the support."

Demond had a confused look. "As part of Kara?"

"No, man. I was supposed to debut with a boy band called Block B."

"I didn't know that," Demond said. "I've heard of them."

"Yeah, they're pretty popular nowadays but we were nothing before," Kwang Ho said bitterly. "I was there from the beginning. We'd been training together for four years. Debut rolls around and then bam, just like that, they cut me. Out of no where." Kwang Ho's voice cracked at the last sentence.

Demond's eyes softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Kwang Ho shook his head. "No, it's fine. About that time, the Sky Crew picked me up and I've been with them ever since. I appreciate everything they've done for me, I really do, but...I don't know...some times I just want more, ya know? You ever feel like that Demond?"

Demond pondered for a moment. "When I was dancing on the streets, I'd always wondered what it would be like to go to a real dance academy and become a professional dancer. Or to join a dance crew."

"So you achieved your dream huh?"

"Yeah."

"That's cool." Kwang Ho took a deep breath and let out a large sigh. "Listen, sorry for blowing up at you like that. I guess I just had it all pent up."

Demond shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Suddenly, Kwang Ho smiled despite himself. "Heh, look at that."

"What?" Demond followed Kwang Ho's stare and saw Eun Mi sleeping on the couch, completely knocked out.

Demond smiled too. "She must be exhausted from watching all the performances and the trip down here. I better take her home." He walked over to Eun Mi and gently picked her up, careful not to wake her. "Say congrats to Kara for me."

"Wait, how you gonna get home?" Kwang Ho called out.

"Geonwoo said he was going our way earlier and offered to drive us home," Demond said. Geonwoo was one of the Sky Crew's managers.

"Oh, alright. Later man."

* * *

><p>Demond entered the Sky Crew's headquarters, greeting Soo Min, the receptionist. "Hey Soo Min."<p>

"Hey Demond. Jae Hwa isn't here yet but she'll be here soon."

"Okay."

He made his way towards one of the dance studios. There was no recording today so Demond was at the Sky Crew to practice with Jae Hwa. When he entered, he saw Kwang Ho, Cho Hee, and Hy and the computer in the corner looking at something. He would be practicing a new dance together with them with the guidance of Jae Hwa.

"Hey guys," Demond greeted.

Cho Hee waved. "Hi Demond!"

"Oh, Demond you're here," Hy replied.

Kwang Ho waved him over. "Dude, come and check this out."

"What is it?"

"Look at these comments on the message boards. They're talking about you!"

Demond looked taken aback. "Really?"

"Yeah man. Look. This one girl says, 'Who's that black dancer who dances with Hara-Unni? He's really amazing!' And this one: 'That solo with the backup dancer is awesome!' And then there's another one: 'Demond is a really good addition to the Sky Crew! He fits in great!' They know so much about you already."

"Wow."

"You're a big hit Demond," Hy commented.

Demond leaned over Kwang Ho's shoulder and took a look for himself. Indeed, there were a couple dozen comments mentioning him, rare for a backup dancer. However, he noticed something. At least half the comments mentioned his skin color. He looked at some more of the comments.

"...'Why is some black guy dancing with my Hara?'..." Demond quoted.

Kwang Ho quickly scrolled down. "Er, ignore that one Demond."

Demond read another one. "'What is this foreigner doing with Kara? He's totally out of place'..." The three dancers looked at Demond apprehensively as he read the monitor. His eyes were dark and he read them in an emotionless tone. They could tell it bothered him.

"Change the page Kwang Ho!" Cho Hee said quickly.

"R-Right!"

Demond stood up from the monitor. His expression was cold. "It's fine...it's to be expected."

"Don't worry about comments like that," Hy tried to console him. "You should just focus on the good ones. The internet is filled with idiots that you should ignore."

Demond looked away from her. "...But even some of the good ones mentioned my skin color. I only stand out to them because I'm black..."

"That's not true!" Cho Hee shook her head furiously.

"It's not just that, Demond," Hy said. "So maybe you might stand out to them at FIRST because of your skin tone but it's your DANCING which really draws them in!"

Demond looked at Hy uneasily but hopeful. "You think so?"

"Yeah totally!" Kwang Ho quickly agreed.

"Hey kids," Jae Hwa greeted as she came in.

Happy to change the subject, the four dancers greeted her energetically. "Hello, teacher!"

Jae Hwa put her things down on the side and walked to the front of the room. She had a CD in her hand and went over to the computer to put it in.

"Today we're going to be covering American artist Usher's 'Good Kisser'," Jae Hwa told them. "It's a good, funky song with genderless dancing. It'll be good one for you guys to learn. Come here and take a look."

They crowded around the computer and watched the video play. "Focus on how the backup dancers move," Jae Hwa said. They studied the video carefully, analyzing each move. "Okay you ready to try it?"

"Yeah, looks fun!" Cho Hee said.

Jae Hwa started off by showing them the beginning the parts and they followed along as best they could. "Move your hips side to side. Good Hy. Good everyone. Now let's try modifying it a bit, we're going to be adding some 'Trouble Maker' in to spice things up a little."

'Trouble Maker' was a popular dance by Hyuna of the girl group 4minute and Hyun-seung of the boy band Beast. It involved the two caressing each other sexily and being very intimate with each other.

"Demond, come here," Jae Hwa commanded and Demond did so dutifully. "Put your hand here," she moved his hand to her thigh. "Then slide your hand down my leg."

Demond did so, albeit gingerly. He always had trouble with the more intimate dance moves in the beginning as he was getting used to his partner. 'Especially when it's Jae Hwa-noona...' he thought to himself.

"Look at me, then at the mirror."

Demond attempted to follow her directions. He tried to look Jae Hwa in the eyes but he couldn't maintain eye contact for very long. He quickly looked towards the mirror.

Jae Hwa shook her head. "You're too stiff. Your dancing's good Demond but your acting needs work. Hy, come up here and try it with Kwang Ho."

The two nodded. Kwang Ho put his hand on Hy's thigh and stared deeply into Hy's eyes. They stared at one another for a few seconds before Hy started laughing.

"What!" Kwang Ho looked indignant.

"I can't take him seriously," Hy said, still laughing.

"Pssh, you just can handle my manliness," Kwang Ho boasted.

Jae Hwa clapped her hands. "C'mon, get it together people. Demond, you try it with Cho Hee."

"Okay."

It was much easier with Cho Hee. Cho Hee was good at acting sultry so Demond tried to step up his acting game to not be left behind.

"Good Cho Hee. Much better Demond. Now why can't you do that with me?" Jae Hwa wondered.

Demond knew why of course but didn't say anything.

They practiced this dance for the rest of the day and by the end of it, they were starting to get the hang of the moves.

"Alright, that's it everyone," Jae Hwa said. "Good work."

The four dancers looked spent.

"Demond, no choreography practice today. I'll give you a bit of rest."

"Okay." He didn't want to admit but he was thankful. While he enjoyed practicing together with Jae Hwa, even he had his limits. He was dead tired.

Geonwoo came in at that moment. "Demond? The President wants to see you."

Demond looked surprised. He had seen the President of the Sky Crew a couple times since joining and had spoken to him here and there, but other than that, they hadn't really talked.

Demond made his way to the president's office. He knocked.

"Demond, come on in."

Entering, he bowed and said, "Hello Mr. President."

President Seok nodded at Demond. "Take a seat. Tell me, Demond, how have you been adjusting to the Sky Crew and being a professional dancer?"

Demond thought for a moment. "Good, I think. Practice is hard but fruitful and I'm getting used to being on stage now."

"Good. How is your sister doing?"

"She's doing well, sir."

"Good to hear. Bring her by the Sky Crew some time, show her around. I like to make sure that the families of our dancers feel welcome here," the President said warmly. "We're a close-knit group and I want to keep it that way."

Demond nodded. "I'll do that, sir."

"You've been doing well with your performances with Kara, Demond," he stated. "I've been getting a lot of calls about you."

Demond looked stunned. "Really?"

"Yes. They all want to know who this young man is and when he can be a backup dancer for their groups." President Seok smiled at Demond. "Korea likes you Demond."

Demond thought to the comments he had seen before. "Not all of Korea..." he said under his breath.

The President caught this. "Don't concern yourself with any naysayers, Demond."

"But so many of the comments, even the good ones, are concerned with my ethnicity."

"That's how it always starts out," President Seok countered calmly. "They're just not used to someone of your background yet but they will be. You will grow on them and they will get used to you, just like they have with other foreign celebrities. Soon, they will see you for who you really are and not just your skin color. You don't think Sam Hammington and Julien Kang didn't face racism when they first started out? Just like you, they faced a lot of criticism from ignorant folk who didn't know any better. But eventually Korea got used to them and they're now staples of the entertainment industry."

The President leaned forward and clasped Demond on the shoulder with a determined look. "Trust me on this, son. With your looks and your skills, you're going to be the next big thing. You will be the face of the Sky Crew, dancing for all the popular groups all over the country, and Korea is going to love it. Just you watch."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm not Korean and I don't speak Korean! Please let me know if I'm using any words incorrectly. Also, I've never been to a music show so I don't know how they work. I'm just making it up from what I see on videos. Sorry for any inaccuracies!<p>

Unni – Older sister, used by females

Noona – Older sister, used by males

Chingu – Friend, same age

Oppa – Older brother, used by females

Hyung – Older brother, used by males


	5. Chapter 4

Dreams of K-Pop

by Daeyeth

Chapter 4

* * *

><p>"A dance competition?" Demond repeated.<p>

"That's right," said Shin. "In two weeks it's going down. It's going to be televised live, promoted heavily, and take place over the course of one weekend. It's called the 'Dance Pro 3000'. The Sky Crew will be participating of course."

"Sweet!" Kwang Ho looked excited. "Who we sending?"

Shin grinned. "You're up, Demond."

"What? Me?" Demond said with a look of surprise. "I...I don't think I'm worthy..."

"Nonsense!" Shin said adamantly. "Besides, it was President's idea."

"I don't know..."

"C'mon Demond, what do you got to lose!" Kwang Ho said "Sure you've only been with us for three months now but you're one of the best dancers I know, hands down."

"Have you ever been in a dance competition, Demond?" Jae Hwa asked.

"No..."

"Then it'll be good for you," Jae Hwa said. "There's a lot of great dancers out there. You need to challenge yourself. I'll be helping you with preparation."

'A dance competition huh?' Demond pondered. 'I wonder if I'll do well.'

* * *

><p>"Are you ready for our goodbye stage, Oppa?" Hara asked him.<p>

Demond nodded. It was the last day for promotions with Kara. The month zoomed by and before he knew it, it was time for their final performance together.

"I feel sad. I'm going to miss dancing with you," Hara told him with a dejected look.

"Me too," Demond replied.

"Hopefully it's not our last time working together. Let's put on a good show for our last performance!"

"Yeah."

He was going to miss dancing with Hara. Over the course of the last month and a half or so, Demond had grown close to Hara and her Kara members. He considered Hara a good friend now.

Their time on stage rolled around. Demond stood on stage in position, waiting for the music start, as he looked out toward the audience. There, among several Kara signs, he spotted a sign for him that read 'Go Demond!'.

'Will they remember me after this is over?' Demond wondered.

The music started pumping and Demond got into his groove. He guided Hara across the stage, gliding her through the air. Moving in to mock kiss her, Hara pushed away his cheek as part of the act. Then it came time for his solo. Pouring his heart and soul into the dance, Demond moved around the stage like fairy on clouds. He put in a special effort to dance his best this time, knowing that this would be last time on stage with Kara for the foreseeable future.

As the stage ended, the audience cheered and Kara and the Sky Crew bowed.

* * *

><p>"Take care! Be sure to call me if you're ever bored!" Hara waved at him.<p>

Demond returned the wave. "Bye Hara."

Demond got in the Sky Crew van and was on his way towards the Sky Crew headquarters. Demond thought of the past couple months. A lot had happened since he had been picked off the street by Shin. He promoted with Kara, he started teaching Hyoyeon, he made some new friends, and was now going to be in a televised dance competition.

'I can't believe how far I've come and how fast,' he thought to himself. It wasn't that long ago when street dancing was all he had, other than Eun Mi of course. Feeling nostalgic, he asked the manager to drive to his old street corner.

"Sure."

They arrived soon and Demond got out of the van. He saw a crowd formed on the corner and went to investigate. Making his way to the front of the crowd, three break dancers were performing a routine. He recognized them. Throughout his years of street dancing, Demond had gotten familiar with the other street dancers. Though he wasn't close to them, they had always been friendly towards him and recognized him as a fellow performer.

As they finished the song, one of the dancers spotted him. He waved and came over to Demond.

"Hey Demond! Long time no see!" the dancer greeted with a smile.

"Hey Jong-Kyu." Demond and the dancer exchanged handshake chest bumps.

"I saw you dancing with Kara the other day." Jong-Kyu said. "I had no idea you had joined the Sky Crew!"

"Yeah."

"Good job man! It's good to see one of us make it out of here."

"Thanks," Demond said. "What've you been up to lately?"

"Oh, glad you asked!" Jong-Kyu said. "You know of the Dance Pro 3000? I'm going to be competing in it in a couple weeks."

Demond looked surprised. "Really? Me too."

Jong-Kyu's eyebrows raised. "Wow, nice! Heh, looks like I'll be up against some stiff competition."

Demond smiled. "Same here."

Thinking of something, Jong-Kyu snapped his fingers. "Hey, why don't you dance with us? Show us some of the new moves you've learned!"

"Right now?"

"Yeah! For old times sake. It'll be fun!"

Thinking for a moment, Demond said, "Okay, sure."

"Great!" Jong-Kyu went over to the two other dancers and said something to them. They nodded. Jong-Kyu turned to the crowd. "We have a special guest folks! Demond of the Sky Crew has joined us! You may have seen him dancing with Kara. Let's give him a big hand!"

The crowd whistled and cheered.

They started off slow with the other dancers break dancing to some hip-hop before handing it off to Demond. Demond snaked his body to the center and executed a flip. He went back to his roots, doing some popping and animation before adding some moves from his dance solo with Kara. The other dancers were nodding their head to the beat as the crowd clapped along. Demond finished with the robot, mimicking a machine shutting down.

"One more time, let's give it up for Demond!" Jong-Kyu lead the audience who cheered him once again. Demond bowed at them before turning to Jong-Kyu.

"It's been fun. I gotta go," Demond said.

"Gotcha. Take it is easy man! I'll see you at the Dance Pro!"

* * *

><p>Arriving at the Sky Crew headquarters, Demond greeted Soo Min.<p>

"Hey Demond. Go to the 1B dance studio. They're holding a meeting."

'Meeting? I hadn't heard anything about that,' thought Demond. "Okay."

Soo Min giggled as he passed.

As he entered the hallway, Demond saw Cho Hee peaking her head out of the doorway. Seeing him, she hastily ducked back inside. "Hurry, he's coming!" he heard.

Raising an eyebrow, Demond wondered what that was about.

When he got to the door, the young Sky Crew member noticed that the lights were off. 'Why are the lights off?'

Opening the door hesitantly, Demond called out, "Uh, hello?"

"SURPRISE!"

The lights were turned on and he saw Kwang Ho, Cho Hee, Hy, Shin, along with some other Sky Crew dancers, standing there holding a cake with his name on it. They all had big smiles on their faces.

"Huh?"

"Congrats on ending your first successful promotion as a Sky Crew dancer!" Cho Hee said to him.

Kwang Ho patted Demond's shoulder, saying "Congrats man!"

"Congratulations Demond!" Hy said.

"It's been a little over 90 days since I picked you up off that corner Demond," Shin told him. "Now you're one of us!"

Demond's face flushed bashfully, unused to being the center of attention when it didn't involve dancing. "Th-thanks."

"Aww, look he's blushing!" Cho Hee said with a giggle.

"Make a wish, Demond!" Hy told him.

"A wish? Um..." Demond thought for a moment. 'I wish that I'm able to provide a good life for Eun Mi.'

* * *

><p>"Hey Demond!" Hyoyeon greeted the young dancer.<p>

"Hey Hyoyeon," Demond greeted back.

"I'm ready for our session today. I think I'm getting pretty good at animation now. What do you think?"

"You are."

"It's all thanks to you Demond!" Hyoyeon said gratefully. "Where's Eun Mi?"

"She on a school trip."

"I see. By the way, I was wondering if we could try something new for today's session..."

As always, Hyoyeon was excited to dance with him but before that, he had something to tell her. "Before we start, I need to let you know that I won't be able to teach you next week."

"Oh. Why?"

"I have to prepare for a dance competition," Demond told her.

"You wouldn't be talking about the 'Dance Pro 3000' would you?"

"Yeah. You know of it?"

She nodded. "Of course. Our Yuri is going to be a judge."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Yup. I'll let her know to give you a free pass," she said, winking.

Demond quickly shook his head. "No, don't do that..."

Hyoyeon laughed and nudged him in the stomach. "I'm just joking. You're always so serious, Demond!"

Demond scratched the back of his head shyly. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I like that about you."

Demond blinked, surprised at the compliment. "Er, so what did you want to try today?"

"I wanted to try a tango with you. I think you'd be a great partner," Hyoyeon said.

"I've never done the tango before..." Demond admitted.

"It's okay. I'll teach you. I did it a while back for a TV show. You'll be good at it, trust me," she said.

"Okay."

Hyoyeon pulled up a video on her phone and they watched it.

"What do you think?"

"It looks interesting."

"It's fun once you get the hang of it. Here, let me show you some basic steps." Hyoyeon took the position of the guy and mimicked holding someone. "Move your feet like this: one, two, one, two, and then kick up your foot. You try it."

Demond imitated as best he could. He got the basic footing down.

"Good. Now try it with me. Hold my right hand with your left," Hyoyeon grabbed his hand, "and then put your right hand around the mid of my back," she moved his other hand so that it was holding her back. "There."

Demond had never been this close to Hyoyeon so it was uncomfortable for him. He couldn't help but get a whiff of her shampoo. 'Strawberry?' It was intoxicating.

"Are you listening to me?"

Demond blushed, realizing he had be wrapped up in her scent. "Y-Yeah, sorry. What was that?"

"I said try to guide me. That's the man's job."

"But I don't know how-"

Hyoyeon cut him off. "-Just use your instincts. Try to guess where I'm going."

"Okay..."

They started off slow with Hyoyeon basically leading him before she picked up the pace. "Now spin me!"

"Uh, okay," he uttered before flinging her around. Demond used too much force and Hyoyeon ended up on the ground. "S-Sorry!"

Hyoyeon laughed at him. "It's okay. Help me up."

The instance he grabbed her hand, Hyoyeon pulled him to the floor with her playfully. She laughed again. It was a nice, heartfelt laugh, Demond thought. He couldn't help but join her in laughing.

"Oh my, am I interrupting something?"

The two whipped their heads to the door. A young woman with brunette hair stood there, grinning. The two blushed and stood up, dusting themselves off.

"What are you doing here 'Sica?" Hyoyeon said, coughing uncomfortably into her hand.

"I wanted to see where you're always secretly running off to. One of our managers told me I could find you here." The young woman smiled Demond. "Hi there, I'm Jessica of Girls' Generation."

Demond tried to regain his wits about him and bowed toward her. "Hello. I'm Demond from the Sky Crew."

"Oooh, so YOU'RE Demond. Hyoyeon told us a while ago about being amazed by this dancer named Demond. I didn't know she had found you and was secretly meeting you!"

"Don't tell the others about this," Hyoyeon pleaded with her band mate.

"Oh no way! They have GOT to hear about this!" Jessica said with mischievous smile. "So how long have you two been meeting like this?"

Demond and Hyoyeon exchanged glances.

"About a month now," Hyoyeon said. "He's been teaching me animation."

"You must be some kind of dancer for Hyoyeon to want to learn from you," Jessica commented.

Demond shook his head shyly. "I'm still just a junior to her in terms of experience."

Hyoyeon poked Demond. "Don't be so modest!" She turned to Jessica. "He's an amazing dancer. I just taught him how to tango and he picked it up very quickly."

"Oh really? Well don't mind me, continue," Jessica said.

"C'mon Demond, let's show her what you've learned."

"Okay."

The two began their tango and Demond followed the steps that Hyoyeon had just taught him. Knowing that he was being watched, he tried a little harder but ended up step on her toes accidentally.

"S-Sorry."

"It's okay."

It was embarrassing for Demond to be watched learning a dance for the first time.

"Now spin me!" Hyoyeon commanded.

Demond did so, but gently this time.

"Better!" They stopped there and Hyoyeon asked Jessica, "What do you think?"

Jessica nodded her head. "Pretty good."

Hyoyeon's eyebrows furrowed. "Pretty good? He just learned this five minutes ago!" Something didn't sit right with Hyoyeon concerning Jessica's comment. "Demond, why don't you show her your street dancing routine."

"Uh, okay."

"Let me turn on some music." Hyoyeon flipped through her phone and picked out a hip-hop song. "Okay, go!"

Demond got in position, simulating a dead puppet on strings. The music began slowly and Demond copied it, tensing his arm muscles to beat as if they were coming to life. He then begun moving his entire body to the rhythm in a wave. Jessica's eyes were beginning to open up. The song was in full motion now and so was he, propelling his body in ways Jessica didn't know was possible. Demond fully expressed the mood of the music with his body, moving softer through the slower parts and picking up the pace through the faster ones.

The music ended and Demond plopped to the ground.

Jessica was stunned. "Wow. I've never seen anything like that..."

Hyoyeon had a giant grin on her face. "Yup!"

Jessica went up to him and asked him in English, "Where did you learn to dance like that?"

"I learned it growing up from break dancers in Harlem," Demond, standing up, replied in English.

"Oh wow. When did you move to Korea?"

"When I was about 15."

Hyoyeon looked back and forth between the two English speakers and had a hard time understanding what they were saying. Miffed at being left out of the conversation, Hyoyeon butted in with a broken sentence. "Hey yo, I speaku Engrish too!" she said in an indignant tone.

Jessica laughed. "Oh stop it Hyoyeon."

Demond had an amused smile on his face. 'She's cute when she's mad,' he thought.

"Well, I've leave you two alone now. I've got some juicy gossip to share now," Jessica said with an impish smirk.

"Ugh," Hyoyeon said, clearly not looking forward to the barrage of questions she would undoubtedly be confronted with once she returned to the dorms.

Jessica waved. "Bye Demond! It was nice meeting you," she said in English.

Demond bowed and replied in English, "Nice meeting you too, Jessica."

"Now, where were we? Want to keep learning more tango?" Hyoyeon asked.

Demond nodded. "Definitely. I enjoy learning new dances."

"Great! Let's get to it!"

* * *

><p>"Hmm, what songs should I use? I think this one is good," Demond said. He was looking on his brand new laptop for songs to use for his dances in the upcoming Dance Pro 3000. The competition would be comprised of five rounds of dancing consisting entirely of routines created by the dancers themselves. Though this meant that Jae Hwa could not choreograph any dances for him, she could still give him feedback on the routines Demond created.<p>

The doorbell rang.

'Who's that?' Demond wondered. He opened the door.

"Yo," Kwan greeted in English with a smug expression.

"...Hi, hyung." Demond greeted back uneasily. He hoped Kwan wasn't here to ask another one of his "favors".

"Well don't go jumping out of your pants excited to see me," Kwan said dryly, returning to Korean. "And here I brought a gift too."

"What?"

"Remember that place we hit up last month? I finally found someone to dump all the jewelry on." Kwan pulled out a stack of cash. "Here's your share Dem."

"I..."

Before Demond could say any more, Kwan shoved the stack of bills into Demond's chest. "Take it," he said forcefully. "Why don't you buy something nice for that little sister of yours." Waving, Kwan said, "I'm out. Late."

As quickly as Kwan had showed up, he was gone, leaving Demond to ponder to himself. He looked at the cash in his hands. There was no way was spending it, he thought guiltily, on himself or Eun Mi.

'Maybe I could drop it off at the house we stole from,' Demond thought. It was a little risky though. He didn't want to get caught. 'At the very least, I'll donate it charity.' Demond sighed.

* * *

><p>Waiting in the dance studio for Jae Hwa, Demond went over several dance moves for his new routine. 'If I go like this, then this, it should come out pretty well,' Demond thought.<p>

"Ugh, sorry I'm late Demond," Jae Hwa, entering the studio.

"It's okay, I don't mind," Demond said.

"My dear MOTHER took it upon herself to set me up on date WITHOUT telling me of course," Jae Hwa muttered. "I had to go over there and tell him I had another appointment that I had to go to and the guy was a total jackass about it!"

"Sorry to hear that, Noona," Demond commented. It was rare of Jae Hwa to talk about her personal life to him. 'Maybe we're getting closer,' he thought.

"Yeah, me too," Jae said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Why can't I meet a nice guy? A nice guy that likes me for once."

Like a lightning bolt, the thought struck Demond that maybe he should mention his feelings for her. The opening was there. For the past three months, Demond had felt his attraction towards Jae Hwa increase with each passing practice session. Maybe it was time. This was it. 'Here goes nothing,' he thought. "Um, I l-like you Noona..."

Jae Hwa smiled. "Aw, thank you Demond. I know you do."

She didn't seem to get it. Demond shook his head. "N-No, I mean...I REALLY like you Noona." Demond's face was fully flushed red and he felt his palms getting sweaty. What would her reaction be?

Jae Hwa stood there with a ponderous look on her face, still processing the information.

Taking a deep breath, Demond mustered up his courage once again and stuttered, "I-I want to go out with you." There. He had said it. This was the first time he had confessed to a girl before. In fact, this was the first time he had developed a crush on anyone, period. As he had gotten to know Jae Hwa, he had grown to appreciate her personality. He adored the way she commanded the dancers with a fiery strength and how beautiful she looked dancing. Demond looked at Jae Hwa to gauge her reaction.

She looked hesitant.

"Um, Demond..."

"Y-Yes?"

"I appreciate you as my junior. You're my student and I adore you. But..."

The dreaded 'but'. Demond felt his heart dropping.

"I only think of you as my junior and nothing else," Jae Hwa said with apologetic eyes.

Demond's shoulders slumped. "I...I see..."

"I'm sorry Demond..."

Demond couldn't meet eyes and continued looking toward the ground. "It's okay. I understand..."

"...Shall we start practice?" She offered a consolation smile.

"...Yeah. I'm ready. I..." Demond took another deep breath, trying to get a control over his emotions. "...I should make sure I'm as prepared as possible."

Jae Hwa nodded approvingly. "That's the spirit."

* * *

><p>Though it was uncomfortable at first, Demond continued practicing with Jae Hwa in the days leading up to the competition with a resolute determination. Thankfully, he had little time to dwell on his failed confession as he had to focus on dance competition up ahead. Representing the Sky Crew was a big deal and the fact that this would be his first time on stage as a solo performer was huge. Demond felt his confidence level was somewhere in the middle. He had confidence the dances he had created but at the same time felt trepidation concerning his competition.<p>

For the first few rounds, the dancers would be competing against themselves and no one else. The judges would view the performances in a vacuum. After that however, from the third round and on, they would be competing against another dancer. All the competitors within the competition were there due to invitation. Invitations were sent out to respective companies, dance crews, and specified individuals who had gained recognition from winning other competitions.

The time passed by quickly and the slated date for the Dance Pro 3000 arrived.

"You guys ready, Demond?" Geonwoo asked.

Demond nodded his head. "Yeah. Eun Mi, come on."

"Okay!" she responded. Due to the fact that it was the weekend and he couldn't leave Eun Mi home alone, she would be coming along. He had asked Geonwoo to watch over her while he participated in the competition.

The three entered the van. Along with them were Jae Hwa, Kwang Ho, Cho Hee, and Hy.

"I'm so excited!" Cho Hee squealed.

"Yeah, this is gonna be awesome," Kwang Ho agreed. "I can't wait to see Demond crush the competition. Sky Crew represent!"

"It's bad luck to talk like that Kwang Ho," Hy admonished.

Jae Hwa nodded. "While I like Demond's chances, there's going to be a lot of good dancers. A lot of big companies are sending their backup dancers and trainees."

"Pssh, whatever," Kwang Ho said with a wave of his hand. "I doubt any of can match up to Demond. Right man?"

"I don't know..." Demond replied cautiously. "Like Noona said, there's going to be some strong competition."

"C'mon man, aren't you confident in your skills?" Kwang Ho asked.

"I am, but I've never done anything like this."

"You just gotta do your thing and you'll be fine. Trust me."

They reached the auditorium where the competition would be taking place and disembarked. Even outside was packed with people, from fans to competitors alike. The Sky Crew made their way through the crowd to the reception table inside.

"Hi. We're here from the Sky Crew. This is Demond Park, we registered him earlier," Jae Hwa stated to the receptionist.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Park huh? Well, let's see here...ah, yes, here you are. Here's your number Mr. Park. Please proceed to the competitors waiting room. The rest of you can take your seats inside the auditorium."

The Sky Crew waved goodbye to Demond and Eun Mi left him with a "Good luck Oppa!"

Demond made his way inside. There were tons of competitors with their numbers on that filled the waiting room. Some looked nervous, others confident, while some of them were entirely wrapped up in perfecting their moves before the competition.

Demond took a seat towards the back row and tried to go over his routines in his head. Now that the competition was actually happening, Demond could feel some stress starting to well up within him. There were over forty participants and by the end of the second round, only be eight would remain. While he was comfortable in anything to do with dance, competing was a whole new avenue. He never had to compare himself to other dancers before.

'Calm down Demond,' he told himself. 'It's just dancing. You can do this.'

"Hey."

Demond looked up and saw a young man with slicked back hair standing in front him with a friendly looking smile. Demond bowed. "Hi."

"I've seen you before. Weren't you a backup dancer for Kara recently?" he asked.

Demond nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Yeah."

"Cool man. I'm Yejoon with Horizon Artists." Yejoon held out his hand and Demond shook it.

"Demond. With the Sky Crew."

Yejoon's eyebrows raised. "You're with the Sky Crew? Wow nice."

"You know of us?" Demond asked curiously.

"Of course!" Yejoon replied. "Anyone who's anyone knows who the Sky Crew is. If you want to be a backup dancer, that is the place to be. They supply all the big companies with dancers."

That surprised Demond. Even though he was part of their crew, he was still new at the Sky Crew and he didn't know the extent of their popularity.

"How long you been with them?"

"Just a few months," Demond admitted.

"And you already got to work with Kara? Damn! Lucky, man!" Yejoon said.

"Demond! You made it!"

The Sky Crew dancer turned and saw the street dancer Jong-Kyu. Demond waved, glad to see a familiar face. "Hey Jong-Kyu."

"Hey man."

Yejoon bowed toward the new entrance. "Hi. I'm Yejoon of Horizon Artists."

"Jong-Kyu, representing all the street dancers out there." Jong-Kyu cast a wink in Demond's direction. "Right Demond?"

Yejoon observed the interaction, not quite understanding. Jong-Kyu picked up on that and explained, "Demond was a street dancer just like me before he joined the Sky Crew."

"Oh! Really? Wow, cool. Now that's underdog story, going from street dancing straight to the Sky Crew," Yejoon said.

"Damn straight," Jong-Kyu agreed. "Demond's one of us."

"Number 17! Number 17, you're up!"

"Y-Yes!"

"Oh shit, they're starting," Yejoon said.

The three watched the nervous dancer be pulled backstage.

"Man, that dude's a nervous wreck," Jong-Kyu said with "yikes" expression.

Yejoon shook his head. "I hope I'm not like that."

The three continued talk amongst themselves as contestants were called up on stage. They conversed about what styles they would be dancing in and the type of routines they would be doing while they waited.

"Animation huh?" Yejoon commented. "That doesn't get much mainstream attention here in Korea. You should be-"

"Number 61!"

Demond stood up. "That's me..."

"Damn. Good luck Demond," Jong-Kyu said, patting Demond's shoulder.

"Yeah, good luck man!" Yejoon said.

Demond followed the staff associate towards the stage. From behind the curtains, Demond looked out towards the packed stands, trying to spot his little sister and the Sky Crew. He couldn't see them, it was too dark. Demond turned his attention towards the judges. He recognized them. Yuri of Girls' Generation was seated on the left, in the middle was Jin-Young Park (JYP), founder of JYP Entertainment, while the last one was Taeyang of the boy band Big Bang. Together, the assortment of judges represented the big three companies of the K-Pop industry, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment, respectively.

"Next!" JYP announced.

"You're up," the staff associate said.

Demond swallowed. 'This is it. Time to show Korea what I'm made of...'

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm not Korean and I don't speak Korean! Please let me know if I'm using any words incorrectly.<p>

Unni – Older sister, used by females

Noona – Older sister, used by males

Chingu – Friend, same age

Oppa – Older brother, used by females

Hyung – Older brother, used by males


	6. Chapter 5

Dreams of K-Pop

by Daeyeth

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>Demond swallowed. 'Time to show Korea what I'm made of...' He walked up on stage and bowed toward the judges.<p>

"Hello," Jin-Young Park (JYP) said in English. "What's your name?"

"Hi, I'm Demond Park from the Sky Crew and I'm 24 years old," Demond replied in English.

"And what type of dancing will you be showing us?"

"It's called animation."

"Oh, animation, nice," JYP said. "Go ahead."

Demond got into position and waited for the music. For his first song, Demond chose the techno-oriented dance-pop song, "Scream and Shout" by will. . He felt he would best be able to show his abilities using this song.

The succession of quick beats started off the song and Demond began moving his body in-sync, tensing his muscles with each beat as if his body was moving like a puppet. When the lyrics kicked in, Demond initiated a slow-motion walk. The secondary beats commenced and Demond continued moving his legs in slow-motion while waving his arms frame-by-frame. The crowd cheered at this. He then switched it up with a couple body waves before transitioning into more robotic movements.

By the end of the song, the audience was on their feet, including the judges who were clapping enthusiastically. Demond bowed and readied himself for the judge's reaction.

JYP started first. "Are you sure you're human?" he said in English with a chuckle. "I can't tell if you're a robot or not because the amount of body control you exerted was astounding. We have some animation dancers here in Korea but you take it to a whole new level. Do you have any dance training?"

"Um, I've had a couple months training at the Sky Crew but I mostly learned from the streets, sir," Demond said.

"Where from?" JYP asked.

"Harlem."

"Ah, so that's it. Really great, good job. You pass for me with flying colors."

Taeyang picked up his mic and also spoke in English, albeit with an accent. "I could really see you expressing the music fully through your movements. I would definitely like to see more of what you have to offer. That was dope stuff man. Pass."

Yuri picked up her mic and glanced at the other judges. "Geez, now I feel I have to talk in English," she joked in Korean.

"I speak Korean," Demond interjected.

"Oh, thank goodness," Yuri said. "You are really REALLY good. I've never seen any dancing like that before. The way you accented the beats with your body was amazing. Huge pass for me."

Demond felt a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, it was a big relief to hear so many compliments. Demond offered a shy smile and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much."

JYP turned to Taeyang and said, "I feel sorry for whoever's next."

* * *

><p>Inside a small room with the Dance Pro 3000 banner in the background, Demond took a seat in front of the interviewer.<p>

"Please greet the viewer if you could."

Demond bowed at the camera. "Hello. I'm Demond Park of the Sky Crew and I'm 24 years old."

"How long have you been dancing for, Demond?"

"All my life, since as long as I can remember," he stated truthfully.

"What's your background like?"

"I grew up in Harlem, New York City and moved to South Korea when I was adopted at 15." Demond was careful to avoid any mention of his birth parents as it made him uncomfortable.

"What was that like, being adopted at 15 and moving to a foreign country?" the interviewer asked.

"It was..." How should he put this? He didn't want to make it seem as if South Korea was a bad country even though he did face many hardships as a foreigner. The audience could take what he said the wrong way. But he wanted to be truthful. Demond careful worded his next sentences. "...it was a little difficult in the beginning because I didn't understand Korean. But my parents were very kind and caring and that helped me get through it."

"Are your adopted parents here now?"

"...My parents died in a car accident four years ago." Demond tried not to let himself get offended by the question.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the interviewer apologized.

"It's okay..."

"Do you have any other family here in Korea?"

"Yes, my little sister. I take care of her."

"It's just you and your little sister?"

"Yes."

"That must be hard."

"...I make ends meet. The Sky Crew is helping me a lot."

"How long have you been with the Sky Crew?"

"Three months."

"So you're only just starting out there?"

"Yeah."

"Where were you before the Sky Crew?"

"Street dancing."

"Street dancing? Wow. I understand that you worked with Kara this past month. How was that?"

"Great. Kara are really great dancers, and good singers too of course. I learned a lot from them."

"Thanks Demond, that's all for now. Is there anything else you want to say?"

Demond thought for a moment. "Hi Eun Mi. Wish your Oppa good luck in the next round."

* * *

><p>"Demond! I thought you were gone!" Jong-Kyu greeted him.<p>

Demond waved. "I was doing an interview. Where's Yejoon?"

Jong-Kyu shook his head. "He didn't make it."

"Oh..." Demond was a little sad. Even though he just met him, he thought Yejoon was a nice guy.

"So what did the judges say? Was JYP super harsh?"

"No. He was actually pretty nice. All the judges liked it."

"Nice. Heh, I guess that should be expected since it's you we're talking about," Jong-Kyu said with a grin.

"Number 43!"

"Oh! That's me. Alright man, wish me luck."

"Good luck Jong-Kyu. I hope you do well."

"Me too."

Just then, his phone buzzed. Demond looked at the screen. It was a text from Hara. It read: "I just saw your dance, Oppa! Great job! Keep it up!"

Demond texted back a quick thank you before returning to his thoughts. Though he felt some relief at passing round one, the hard parts were still up ahead. 'Four more rounds...no, I should just focus on the next round. One step at a time.'

* * *

><p>Hyoyeon and Sooyoung, another member of Girls' Generation, arrived late to the competition. They were seated near front of audience.<p>

"I told you were should of left earlier," Hyoyeon told Sooyoung.

"We only missed the first round," Sooyoung replied.

"Yeah but I wanted to see all the competitors."

Sooyoung smirked. "Don't lie. You're just mad because you missed your chingu's stage."

"No, that's not true!" Hyoyeon quickly retorted.

"Did you call him to wish luck?"

"No...I already told him that last week," Hyoyeon said.

"But I bet he's waiting to hear from you!"

"Why would he do that?"

Sooyoung rolled her eyes. "You're so naive."

Sensing what her band mate was insinuating, Hyoyeon frowned. "I told you, we're just chingus."

"If you say so."

They turned their attention towards the stage and watched several contestants.

'They're all pretty good...but none match up to 'him' yet,' Hyoyeon thought.

A couple more contestants finished their stages when the interviewer to approached them. The two girls noticed the camera and waved.

"I'm here with Sooyoung and Hyoyeon of Girls' Generation. How are you two enjoying the competition so far?" he asked.

"Good," Sooyoung said.

"It's fun," Hyoyeon added.

"Anyone stick out so far?"

"I'm just excited to be here," Hyoyeon avoided. "There are a lot of good dancers at this competition."

"How about you Sooyoung? Anyone you're looking forward to seeing anyone?"

A mischievous twinkle sparkled in her eyes. "I'm excited to see a dancer named 'Demond'. I 'hear' he's really good."

Though she didn't show outwardly, inside Hyoyeon was flustered at Sooyoung's acknowledgment.

"Ah, yes, the Sky Crew dancer Demond who shocked judges in the first round," the interviewer said. "How did you hear about him?"

"A 'friend' mentioned him to me," Sooyoung said with a grin.

Hyoyeon wanted to bury her face in her hands.

"Well, thank you for being here. We look forward to your comments later on in the competition!"

"Sure," Sooyoung said.

Once the interviewer left, Hyoyeon leaned over and whispered angrily, "I can't believe you said that!"

Sooyoung feigned innocence. "What? If you weren't going to talk about him, I figured I should."

"Ugh."

* * *

><p>Demond's second stage came around. Unlike the intial stage, Demond chose a song that started out more slowly than the first. He chose "Propane Nightmare" by Pendulum. Demond began by weaving his arms in and out with the sound of trumpets while moving his feet in a moonwalk fashion. It took about 40 seconds before the beats started. When it did, Demond added a little popping (the dance technique) to his movement before switching over to animation. The strong drum and bass chorus hit and Demond really ramped up his movement, swishing his body back and forth. It was a great song to enunciate with animation due to the heavy drum and bass.<p>

Demond finished with a twirl and the crowd cheered loudly. This time, judges did not stand up.

Taeyang started off, speaking in Korean this time, "I thought that you chose your song very well this round, the animation went very well with it. I thought popping was a little out of place but other than that, great stage. Pass."

Yuri was up next. "Great set. I really enjoyed it. I mirror what Taeyang said except that I enjoyed your addition of popping. You pass for me."

JYP paused for a moment before picking up his mic. "I didn't enjoy it as much as first stage. Don't get me wrong, the dancing was great but you had a lot of similar movements to your first dance. Also, I disagree with Taeyang. I'm with Yuri, I really enjoyed the popping. In fact, I think that's what made the stage for me. I would actually like to see MORE popping. Add something to the animation. I want more variety. Still a pass for me of course. I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to offer in the quarterfinals now that you've heard my comments."

Demond bowed and left the stage with several thoughts in his head.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe JYP didn't like it!" Kwang Ho said.<p>

"While I liked it as much as the first stage, Demond could do a lot with adding some variety to his dances," Jae Hwa commented.

"I would of thought that Demond could win using only animation," Hy said thoughtfully. "His animation is top notch."

"Yeah! I never get tired of watching it," Cho Hee said.

"Me neither!" chimed Eun Mi.

"Not with JYP judging," Jae Hwa said. "He's been pretty consistent in stating that he'd like to see variety from ALL of the dancers, not just Demond. It won't just be an expert in animation or modern dance who will win, it'll be who has the best diversity of moves while still making it look cohesive."

* * *

><p>Demond sat in the waiting room with the other quarter-finalists while they awaited the next round. It would be the final round of the day and this time, they would be paired up with another dancer and battling each other 1-on-1.<p>

'It's too bad Jong-Kyu didn't make it,' Demond thought. Jong-Kyu was knocked out in the second round,

"Alright everybody, we're going to have you pick your opponents now. Follow me to the stage."

The dancers were comprised of two modern dance specialists, two hip-hop specialists, one ballet specialist, one popping specialist, one jazz-hip-hop specialist, and Demond, the animation specialist. All of them went up to the stage where a presenter held a box.

"And now we are at the quarterfinals! Each dancer will pick a colored ball and will be dancing against whoever picks the same color. We will then form the brackets from there."

Two dancers were ahead of him. One picked red, the other yellow. Demond was next. He had no preferences to whom his opponent would be as he considered all roads to the finals equally difficult. Demond went up to the presenter and stuck his hand in the box. He pulled out a red ball.

"And right off the bat, Sky Crew dancer Demond Park is paired up with popping dance specialist Jung-su Won-ho from the Starship Entertainment. What are you expecting from this match up?" the presenter asked the judges.

"I'm looking forward to what should be a good battle," JYP said. "Both contestants have shown great aptitude for dance with some very exciting stages."

* * *

><p>"Oh damn, he got the popping dancer! Wait, is that good?" Kwang Ho asked.<p>

"The best case scenario is that Demond is matched up the popping or hip-hop dancers as Demond is well-versed in both and could out dance them at their own game," Jae Hwa explained. "So yes, this is good, in my opinion. It also depends on whether or not Demond sticks to his per-rehearsed dances or switches it up based on his opponent and the judges comments."

"I hope Demond switches it up. He's good enough to make things up on-the-fly which should give him an edge," Hy said.

* * *

><p>Demond stood on stage on the side watching Jung-su's dance intensely. As far as popping goes, Jung-su was good. Real good. The crowd was into it and the judges were clapping along with the beat. Demond thought about how he should approach his next dance.<p>

He couldn't change the song, but he could modify the dance. 'JYP and Yuri said that they liked my popping. If I could meld together my animation and popping better, perhaps I could get Taeyang on board too.' It was risky, changing his dance on the fly, but it was one he decided to make.

Jung-su's dance ended and Demond clapped along with the applause. Demond went to the front of the stage and got ready. Drunken Tiger's "Get It In" started pumping and Demond came popping to life. Unlike his other dances, Demond decided to do a story-driven concept for his next act. He started out popping, motioning to an imaginary lover as if he was trying to impress her. Demond moved to the floor and crawled, reaching for the invisible being in a stuttered motion before transitioning smoothly into some animation. The crowd cheered loudly at this, happy to see him return to animation.

Demond added on more popping this time, hoping to outdo his opponent and impress the judges. Coming to the end of the song, Demond flung himself backwards, mimicking being tossed away by his lover. Putting his fists to his heart, he simulating it beating then exploding outwards before falling to the ground.

The audience and the judges applauded. Demond got up and Jung-su went beside him as they awaited the judges responses.

Taeyang grabbed up his mic. "Great battle. Jung-su, you showed some really smooth moves, it was a great set. However, I'll have to give the edge to Demond as I felt his routine was a little more polished."

JYP followed up Taeyang's comments. "I agree with Taeyang. Jung-su, your dance was solid, but I felt Demond stepped up his game more and really pulled in the audience. Demond gets my vote."

"I disagree slightly with my fellow judges," Yuri started. "I felt that it was a closer battle than the votes will reflect. Jung-su, your popping is really top-notch. But Demond's was as well and he melded his animation very well with his popping. If it was just down to that, I would call the battle even. However, I also enjoyed the little narrative that Demond presented to us and for that reason, I too vote for Demond."

"And the winner by unanimous decision is Demond Park!" the presenter said. "First, let's hear the thoughts of Jung-su. Jung-su, how did you feel you did?"

Jung-su paused for a second, before saying, "Well, I felt danced well enough to get me into the next round but Demond is a good dancer and I wish him good luck in the next round."

"Demond, your thoughts?" the presenter asked.

"Jung-su is a really good dancer, it could of gone either way," Demond stated. "But I'm glad the judges voted for me. Thank you." Demond bowed.

"There you have it folks! Next up, we have..."

* * *

><p>Demond observed the following rounds in the back room to see who his opponent would be. The ballet dancer, one of the modern dance specialists, and one of the hip-hop specialists made it to the next round. Demond's opponent would be the hip-hop dancer, meaning he would face either the ballet dancer or the modern dance specialist in the final round, assuming that he makes to the finals.<p>

After the show ended, Demond met up with his group.

"Nice job man!" Kwang Ho congratulated him.

"You did us proud!" Hy said.

"Yeah!" Cho Hee agreed.

Eun Mi ran up to him and hugged him. "You were the best, Oppa!"

Demond bowed his head slightly. "Thanks everyone."

"It's not over yet," Jae Hwa said. "Demond has some tough competition ahead. He's up against easily the best hip-hop dancer in the competition and then he has to face either the ballet dancer or the modern dance specialist. Because those are both completely different from what Demond does, it's completely up in the air as to who will win between Demond and them."

"Pssh, ain't nothing Demond can't handle!"

"Thanks, Kwang Ho," Demond said with a smile.

Later, the Sky Crew van took everyone home. Jae Hwa had some final parting advice for Demond and he and Eun Mi got out.

"Get a lot of rest Demond, you're going to need it. Try not to worry too much about the competition."

Demond nodded. "Alright Noona."

* * *

><p>Demond and the hip-hop dancer, Hyeonwoo Roh, sat in the waiting room, tense and quiet, while they watched the modern dance specialist and the ballet dancer battle. Demond was still thinking about how he should change his dance to suit the judges taste.<p>

'JYP wants variety. Maybe I should-'

"-And the winner is Haeun Myung!"

Demond looked up at the television and saw that it was the modern dance specialist who had won. 'So that's my competition...if I win,' he thought.

A staff associate entered the room. "Demond, Hyeonwoo, you're up."

* * *

><p>Demond was up first. For his semifinals song, Demond chose "30 Sexy" by Rain. It was funky, dance pop song that lent itself well to a hip-hop dance. The beat started slowly with Demond pumping one leg to it before the song swung into full motion. Demond then began swirling his arms and legs in a trance like worm. When the chorus hit, Demond executed a flip into a headspin, channeling his inner b-boy. This was the first time that Demond had shown his break dancing before. He finished the headspin and transitioned into a windmill, a move where the dancer rolls his torso on the floor while twirling his legs in a V-shape in the air. Once that was done, Demond progressed into more of jazz-funk style, similar to the dance styles seen from boy bands 2PM and Super Junior, and did this for a while before finally finishing with some locking moves. Demond ended the dance with acrobatic freeze and the crowd cheered.<p>

Now it was Hyeonwoo's turn. Hyeonwoo's dance was largely hip-hop and could of easily been choreographed to one of the popular boy bands. He showed finesse and skill in his dance and the moves went together with the music. The crowd's reacted enthusiastically though it was hard to say whether they were louder to Demond or Hyeonwoo. Despite being a competitor, Demond couldn't help but appreciate the artistry before him.

Hyeonwoo finished his set with a flurry of moves and freezing while pointing at the camera. Once again, the audience cheered loudly.

"Two powerful dances from two skilled dancers," the presenter said. "Which one do the judges think had the edge in this close battle?"

"I'll start," JYP stated. "First, I want to say that Hyeonwoo's hip-hop dance was spot on. I could easily see you as a member of a boy band doing this dance and the fact that you choreographed it yourself makes it more impressive. As for Demond, I'm really glad you decided to switch it up from animation, otherwise I never would of known what a talented breaker you are! You took me back in time with your dance. I'd like to know, did you change up your dance based on your opponent?"

"Yes, I ad-libbed most of the dance," Demond responded.

JYP nodded. "I could tell, it felt very 'alive' whereas I could see that Hyeonwoo was doing practiced moves. I'm going to have to give this one to Demond."

Taeyang followed JYP's comments. "Demond, I'm a little disappointed we didn't get to see any animation this round. That's my favorite part of your routines and while I enjoyed your dance this round, I felt more in touch with Hyeonwoo's routine, perhaps because I myself am often dancing to hip-hop dances. I'm giving my vote to Hyeonwoo."

Finally, it was Yuri's turn. "I agree with Taeyang, I missed the animation. However, I felt the moves your pulled off were more sophisticated and flowed together better than Hyeonwoo's dance. That's not to say that Hyeonwoo was a poor dancer, quite the opposite. It's just that I was 'wowed' more by Demond and for that reason, my vote is for Demond."

"And there you have it folks!" the presenter said. "The winner of this battle who will be moving on to the finals is Demond Park!"

* * *

><p>"Yes!" Cho Hee exclaimed.<p>

"Hooray!" Eun Mi cheered.

Kwang Ho pumped is fist. "Hell yeah. He made it to the finals!"

"Now he has to face his toughest competition yet," Jae Hwa said. "This is going to be a big hurdle for him to overcome."

"Do you think he's going to ad-lib his dance in the finals?" Hy asked.

"Difficult to say. To dance on the fly while facing so much pressure is a tough thing to do," Jae Hwa said. "He could benefit from it but it could also hurt him. It's a double-edged sword."

* * *

><p>"What do you think about your opponent Demond?" the interviewer asked.<p>

"I think she's a really great dancer. It's going to be tough facing her in the finals," Demond said.

"Through the quarterfinals and semifinals, you tailored your dance towards your opponent, showing popping against a popping expert and breaking against a hip-hop expert. What's next for you? Are we going to some modern dance perhaps?"

Demond shook his head. "I don't know any modern dance so I suppose I'm going to have to get creative."

"Finally, how do you feel after making it to the finals?"

"Good. Really good. But I'm still not satisfied. I'd like to win it all."

"Bold words from Demond Park."

* * *

><p>"Here we are for the finals of the Dance Pro 3000," the presenter said. "As they have been with the previous round, the judges will be deciding the winner by majority vote. First up is Demond Park from the Sky Crew who will be taking on Haeun Myung from the Korea National University of Arts."<p>

Demond's palms were sweating profusely as he steeled himself mentally for his performance. It all came down to this one last routine. 'This is it...' he thought. 'Just do your thing and leave the rest up to the judges.'

He took a deep breath and stepped up on stage. For his final song, he chose Clazziquai's "Sweetest Name", a smooth, jazzy club song with calming vocals. The song began and Demond started his dance. Again, he chose to ad-lib most of dance because he felt it would be more lively and fluid. Demond commenced with some hip-hop movements, swinging and twisting his limbs in an energetic motion. Demond wanted his dance to look appear as if he was just dancing in the club with a refreshing energy. He transitioned into popping then into animation with silky smooth kinetics. He moved back and forth between these three styles so that it appeared effortless, even though in fact it was taking everything he had to get these movements down precisely.

The audience lauded his efforts, standing up and cheering. Demond slid across the stage like was it was ice. He used the full extent of muscles in every movement, taking all the energy he had to control his body with remarkable fidelity. At the end of dance, even the judges were standing, the first time they had done so since his first performance.

Demond bowed and went to the side, breathing heavily while he awaited the performance of Haeun. The female dancer got ready and waited until her song, "Born to Be Wasted" by 009 Sound System kicked in. Haeun started walking slowly, getting up on her tippy-toes, and arching her feet. She paused then whipped her head in dramatic fashion. She begun to fully get into the groove of the song, swinging her body from side to side, kicking her legs up, and waving her arms simultaneously. The entire audience was mesmerized, from the fans to the judges to even Demond himself.

'So this is modern dance. She's like a swan...' Demond thought. Watching Haeun dance so magically inspired Demond to want to learn modern dance himself.

She displayed her nimbleness by holding up her leg in the air and lowering it slowly. Traversing the stage like an agile fairy, she jumped and twirled around. Demond was so wrapped up in her dance that he had completely forgotten that she was his competitor and simply stood in awe of artist's performance.

Haeun's dance came to an end and the crowd's cheering was deafening. Everyone was standing and applauding.

After the applause ended, Demond went up on stage and stood by Haeun as they awaited the judges comments.

JYP's smiled giddily as he spoke. "Wow. Just wow. Two stellar performances by two incredibly talented dancers. This is going to be a hard one. I'll start of with Haeun. Firstly, let me just say that even though I touted a variation of styles rather than one, you completely blew me away and proved me wrong. What you did was entirely unique and not repetitive in any way, shape, or form."

Haeun bowed. "Thank you."

"As for Demond," JYP continued, "You definitely brought the variety and it was in a way that I had wished all the other dancers had followed. You mixed styles seamlessly and beautifully; it came out as one cohesive product. Fantastic job."

"Thanks," Demond said with a bow as well.

"This is tough. Real tough. For the winner of this competition, my vote goes to...Haeun."

"JYP votes for Haeun!" the presenter exclaimed. "Who will the other judges go for?"

Yuri looked distraught at the idea of having to choose between the two dancers. "This is definitely the hardest choice I've had to make this competition. It's not easy choosing between you two. Both of you were beautiful in your own right and each displayed individual merits unique to yourselves. If I had to describe you two as animals, I would call Demond a lion while Haeun a dove. Haeun showed the grace of a dove through her abilities while Demond attacked the stage the power of a lion." Yuri paused with her brows furrowed. "Oh god, this is so hard. My choice for the winner is...Demond."

Demond let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding. He still had a chance.

"So I guess it's down to me now, huh," Taeyang said with a sigh. "Okay, Haeun: you were amazing. THAT is what contemporary dance is all about. The nimbleness, the grace as Yuri put it, the flow, you had it all. Each stage you've shown us that there are no boundaries to modern dance and you did so wonderfully. Now Demond, you were the man. You showed us a very suave and hip dance and brought together all the different styles of dance with magical precision. Excellent job. Like everyone's said, this is extremely tough, to have to choose between you two but since I have to, my choice for the winner of this competition is..."

Here it came. Everything lead up to this one moment. Which dancer would Taeyang ultimately pick? The graceful Haeun or the powerful Demond? Demond clenched his fists and closed his eyes.

"...Demond!"

The young Sky Crew dancer opened his eyes in shock. 'I...I won?'

The crowd was delighted and showered Demond with a standing ovation.

"The winner of the Dance Pro 3000 is twenty-four year old Demond Park!" the presenter said excitedly. "Demond takes home $30,000 and the accolades of being the best dancer of the Dance Pro 3000! Demond, how do you feel?"

"I...um..." Demond was at loss for words. This was the first time he had won a competition. "I'm...I'm really happy and I'm shocked that I won. Haeun is an incredible dancer, I'm just lucky the judges picked me. Thank you all so much," he said with a deep bow.

* * *

><p>"Congratulations man!" Kwang Ho slapped him hard on the back. He, Demond, Cho Hee, Hy, and Jae Hwa were at bar celebrating. Geonwoo had taken home Eun Mi and was watching over her until Demond got back...which didn't look like it would be for a while, if Kwang Ho and the Sky Crew had any say in it.<p>

"Good job Demond," Jae Hwa said. "I'm glad the President chose you to represent us."

"I knew you could do it," Hy said happily.

"Me too!" Cho Hee agreed.

"C'mon man, drink up!" Kwang Ho told him.

Demond hesitated. "I don't usually drink..."

"Well now's the time! I'm gonna make sure you're wasted before you get home man. This is the time to celebrate!"

"Okay..." Demond took another sip of the rice wine and could already feel his face getting hotter.

"So tell me man, how in the world did you manage to make up that final dance on the fly?" Kwang Ho asked.

"I dunno...I just...let it flow and let it happen on its own," Demond answered.

Jae Hwa nodded. "Spoken like a true artist."

"You know Demond, everyone is going to want you as their background dancer now," Hy said.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Cho Hee chimed in. "You were on TV and had respected K-Pop stars praise you!"

"Man, I'm so jealous of you Demond. I wish I had won a televised competition like that," Kwang Ho said.

Demond scratched the back of his head bashfully. "Thanks everyone...I wouldn't of been able to do it without your support."

Demond and the Sky Crew drank heartily over the next hour. Demond a little quieter than usual, likely thanks to the amount of alcohol he had just consumed. Rather than get loud and boastful, when Demond gets drunk he gets in hazy mist with his head filled with random thoughts. He thought about his future, how he got to this point, and about the world of K-Pop he had just entered months earlier. It was amazing journey that had only just started.

Demond looked over to the side to look at Jae Hwa laughing cordially. She was as beautiful as ever. He felt his heart sink a little bit. 'She rejected me...I should apologize to her. I shouldn't of put her in that position as a teacher.'

Perhaps boosted by the alcohol, Demond mustered up his courage to talk to Jae Hwa about the matter, completely forgetting that they were surrounded by the other Sky Crew members. No one was pay attention though as everyone was thoroughly drunk, Jae Hwa included.

"Um, Jae Hwa-noona?"

She turned to Demond with a smile. "Yes?"

"I...I wanted to apologize for...um...earlier...you know..."

It took a moment before Jae Hwa realized what he was talking about. She quickly waved it off. "Oh, pssh, don't worry about it. I know how feelings can get the better of us some times. Why, if I was ten years younger, I might of even had a go at you," she said with a wink.

Demond blinked, surprised. "Really?"

"Sure. You're young, handsome, and talented. Everything a girl wants! It's just that, I'm not at that stage of my life anymore."

It then dawned on Demond that he had no idea how old Jae Hwa was. He guessed around mid-thirties but other than that, he hadn't a clue. "Um, how old are you, Noona?"

Jae Hwa shook her finger at Demond with a sly grin. "Never ask a woman her age, Demond."

"S-Sorry..."

Jae Hwa laughed and hugged him lightly. "Oh don't worry about it! You're always so earnest. I love that about you. Promise me, never change Demond. No matter what happens."

"O-Okay." Demond returned the hug, both of them thinking nothing of it due to their drunken haze.

The night continued on without any incident...well, aside from Kwang Ho getting slapped by Hy for hitting on her a little too hard. Demond was happy he had accepted their invitation for a night out, he was having fun. He learned he enjoyed drinking in the presence of companions. For once in his life, he had friends. Real friends. Friends that he could count on.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm not Korean and I don't speak Korean! Please let me know if I'm using any words incorrectly. If you want to get an idea of what Demond's animation dances look like, youtube Cyrus Glitch Spencer. I based Haeun Myung dance on a performance by Min Young Park with music edited in. The youtube video is entitled "Korea, the best dancer ever".<p>

Unni – Older sister, used by females

Noona – Older sister, used by males

Chingu – Friend, same age

Oppa – Older brother, used by females

Hyung – Older brother, used by males


	7. Chapter 6

Dreams of K-Pop

by Daeyeth

Chapter 6

* * *

><p>The Sky Crew had decided to give him a few off days after the Dance Pro 3000 before starting up practice again. Demond was alone at his apartment as Eun Mi was at school, rapping to himself. He found that his rap lyrics had changed in last few months from dark and depressing to more optimistic. Rather rap about his parents death, adopted and birth, and growing up on the tough streets of Harlem, he was rapping about how wonderful it felt to be dancing on stage and making new friends. Suddenly, his phone rang.<p>

"Hello?"

"Hi Oppa. It's Hara," he heard on the receiver. "*Cough* What are you doing?"

"Watching TV. You?"

"*Cough* I'm at home, sick *cough* *cough*."

"Oh, sorry to hear that. How do you feel?" Demond asked.

"Terrible," came the reply.

"You should just lie in bed and not do anything."

"I can't. I haven't eaten but I can't cook. I'll have to go out and get something...*cough*."

"Um, do you want me to come over? I can cook you something."

Hara brightened up at that. "Really? That'd be great! I'm so bored right now and I can't do anything."

"Okay, I'll be over in a bit."

"Great! See you soon!"

* * *

><p>Demond rang the doorbell with a bag of food in his hand that he had brought from home.<p>

"Hello?"

"Hey Hara, it's Demond."

"Oh! Just a second."

Hara opened the door moments later. She had bags under her eyes and looked quite sickly in her pajamas. She smiled at him weakly. "Hi Oppa."

"Hey Hara. You okay?"

"Not really. *cough* Come in, come in!"

Demond entered and took off his shoes. Demond took a look around. It was a moderately nice apartment with cute things all around. Not quite what he was expecting from a K-Pop star, it was rather modest.

"Let me show you around." She grabbed his hand and lead him around. "This is the living room and this is the kitchen. You can put the food down over there. Over here is Seungyeon's and Gyuri's room and my room and Youngji's is over there, though Youngji isn't living here at the moment due to filming 'Roommate'. So I get the room all to myself!"

"Nice place," Demond commented.

Hara shrugged. "It's okay. I hope to one day live in a house with a nice big backyard."

"Shall I get started cooking? I'll make you some chicken soup, that's supposed to be good for you when you're sick."

Hara nodded. "Sure! Want me to *cough* help?"

Demond shook his head. "It's okay. You can just rest."

"You sure?"

"Yeah don't worry about it. You need to rest."

"Okay."

Hara went over to the couch and turned on the TV. "I was just catching up on some dramas. Do you watch any?"

"Not really. Eun Mi watches them sometimes so I see one every so often."

"Aw. I love dramas! I always watch them whenever I get some free time, which isn't often. What have you been up to since the Dance Pro 3000? I still can't believe you won." Hara asked him.

"Just relaxing. The Sky Crew gave me a couple days off," Demond answered as he chopped up some vegetables. "I like watching variety shows."

"What's your favorite?"

"Probably 'Running Man'."

"I love Running Man! Jae Suk is so funny. I was on there a couple times you know."

"Really? I guess that's to be expected from a big star like you." Demond poured the vegetables into the pot.

"Oh stop it! *cough* So have you decided what you're going to buy with your winnings?" Hara asked.

"I think I'll put it all into a college fund for Eun Mi," Demond answered.

"That's smart. Good for you."

Demond started cooking the chicken. "So where are your members?"

"They're off attending a schedule. They'll be back in a bit."

Demond stirred the ingredients. "The soup should be done soon, just got to let it cook a bit."

"Great! Come over here and sit down while it cooks." Hara patted the seat next to her.

"Okay." Demond went over and sat next to Hara who had her knees pulled up to her chest, hugging them. They watched the drama that was on TV for a bit.

"He is such a good actor don't you think?"

Demond nodded. "He's pretty good."

"Say, do you have any pets?" Hara asked curiously.

"No. I was thinking about getting one though now that I have a stable income."

"You should! I love animals," Hara commented.

"The soup should be done now." Demond got up and took the lid off the pot, smelling it. "Yeah, it's ready." He poured two bowls. Hara made her way sluggishly to the table.

"Mmm, smells good!"

"Try it."

"Wait, *cough* let me get a selfie of it with me and you."

Demond scratched his head. "I'll never understand why K-Pop stars love taking pics of food."

"It's fun! It gives us something to share with the fans. Come here." Hara held out her camera phone in front of them. Demond leaned closer to Hara and did a sideways peace sign as Hara smiled at the camera and snapped the picture.

Hara took a look at the photo. "Ugh, only you came out good. You look handsome," she said with a giggle.

Demond blushed at this. "Um, thanks."

"But I look terrible, ugh."

"Let me see." Hara showed Demond the picture. "No you don't...you, um, you look cute..." Demond said hesitantly.

Hara smiled. "Thanks!" Hara typed the caption to the photo on her phone, reading it out loud. "My Oppa cooked me chicken soup! Smiley face...Hehe."

Demond never quite got the obsession people had these days with social media, especially as he wasn't very tech savvy. 'I suppose it's an easy way to get connected to people,' he thought.

The door opened and they heard, "Hara, we're back!"

"Hi Unnie! We're in here eating!" Hara replied.

"We?"

Gyuri and Seungyeon made their way to the living room and saw Demond and Hara eating.

"Oh! Demond, you're here!" Seungyeon said.

Demond waved. "Hey Seungyeon-noona, Gyuri-noona."

"I told Demond I was sick and he offered to come over cook!" Hara explained.

"Aww, how nice of you Demond," Gyuri said.

"My, you two are getting close aren't you?" Seungyeon said with a wink.

Hara raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about? We're just friends. Right Demond?"

Demond quickly nodded.

"Don't you know, that's how it always starts out," Gyuri said mischievously. "Are you telling me you've never thought of Demond as a man before?"

"What? No..." Hara glanced at Demond as if pondering the question herself for the first time. Demond returned the gaze shyly. Hara blinked and then suddenly her face began to flush red. She turned away quickly and said, "Demond made us all chicken soup! Try it!"

Seungyeon grinned. "Changing the subject huh? Fine, we'll leave you two alone. Let's eat."

Demond couldn't help but wonder why Hara turned away with her face flushed. 'Would she consider thinking of me as more than a friend?' he thought. He admitted that he had thought Hara was impeccably cute on more than one occasion and found her very attractive when dancing.

The four them ate Demond's chicken soup, complimenting him on the meal, and chatted about this and that before finally, Demond told them he had to go.

"I need go home because Eun Mi's coming back from school soon."

"Alright, take care Demond," Gyuri said.

Seungyeon waved. "Bye Demond!"

"Bye Oppa! Thanks for coming over and cooking!" Hara told him.

"Sure. Bye."

* * *

><p>"I got some great news for you Demond!" Shin said, wrapping an arm around young dancer's shoulders.<p>

Demond looked at him uncertainly. "What?"

"I got some of my friends at Star Empire to okay you to shadow their choreographer!"

Demond was confused. "Why would I do that?"

"I told you before Demond, I want you to become a choreographer for the Sky Crew," Jae Hwa said. "You'll learn a lot by watching how another dance teacher works, other than me."

"A-Already? But I've only just finished my first promotion as a backup dancer," Demond said unconfidently. "I'm not ready to choreograph..."

"Nonsense Demond!" Shin said dismissively. "You've already shown us your incredible creativity when it comes to creating your own dances by winning the Dance Pro 3000. The President wants us to move forward with this."

"It'll be good for you," Jae Hwa advised. "I don't know the staff at Star Empire that well but they've produced some great groups such as Jewelry, ZE:A, and Nine Muses. Trust me."

"I trust you Noona..." Demond said. Still, the prospect of venturing outside of the Sky Crew produced some trepidation for him. How would they react to him? What type of person was their choreographer? What group would he be working with? He supposed he would find out soon enough.

* * *

><p>Demond arrived at SM Entertainment to teach Hyoyeon after a couple weeks off. He waved at the receptionist who he had come to know by name.<p>

"Hello Minsu," Demond said with a bow.

The receptionist returned the bow. "Hi Demond. Come right in. Hyoyeon isn't here yet but go ahead and wait inside."

"Okay."

Demond got in the elevator but as the door was about to close, he heard someone call out, "Wait!"

Demond stuck his hand in the middle of the door to stop it from closing.

"Thanks!" said a girl.

Two girls stepped inside the elevator. He recognized them. They were from the girl group f(x), Luna and Krystal. He bowed at them which they returned. As the elevator went up, he noticed they kept cast him glances out of the corner of their eyes. Luna whispered something to Krystal who raised her eyebrows. Krystal tapped Demond on the shoulder.

"Um, excuse me..." Krystal asked in English.

"Yes?" Demond answered English.

"You wouldn't happen to be Demond Park would you? The winner of the Dance Pro 3000?"

"Er, yeah, that's me," Demond said, surprised that a couple of K-Pop stars would know him by name.

"My friend here is a fan of yours," Krystal said with a giggle.

"Big fan! You very good dancer!" Luna said brightly in English with an accent.

Demond bowed at them once again and said in Korean, "Thank you." He hadn't known that the Dance Pro 3000 was that popular but then again, it was televised and had three big names as judges. "I'm a fans of yours as well."

"Thanks. So what're you doing here?" Krystal asked.

"I'm..." Demond paused. Should he disclose that he was teaching Hyoyeon? Celebrities were often very protective of their private life and even though the two girls probably knew Hyoyeon very well, he still wasn't sure he should say anything. "...I'm teaching someone."

"Oh cool."

"This is my floor."

"Alright, bye!" Krystal said.

"Bye! Nice meet you Demond!" Luna said in English with a wave.

As Demond walked to the dance studio, Demond pondered his new found fame. Was he becoming a celebrity? People in the industry were starting to recognize him and, while that felt good, he was uncertain about how it would affect his everyday life. Demond didn't go out often so he didn't know if people outside the industry would recognize him, but he wondered if it would lead to any trouble with him raising Eun Mi by himself. Thanks to the money from the Sky Crew as well as the prize money from the dance competition, he was now able to afford babysitters for Eun Mi, so at the very least if anyone investigated they would see that she was well taken care of.

He entered the dance studio and began warming up. 'What should I teach Hyoyeon this session?' Demond wondered. Would she want to keep learning animation or was she getting tired of that? They could try another couple dance, learning the tango that one time was fun. And he had new motivation towards learning modern dance after being amazed by the final dance of Haeun Myung.

'Maybe Hyoyeon knows some modern dance,' he thought

Just then, the door to the dance studio opened and Hyoyeon entered. "Hi Demond! Sorry I'm late!"

"Hey Hyoyeon." Demond was about to smile when he noticed someone following behind Hyoyeon and a little apprehension began to well up. 'Who's that?'

"I brought someone along this time, Demond. I hope you don't mind," Hyoyeon said.

Demond tried to act like he didn't care. "It's fine..." The truth was, he had begun to enjoy the one-on-one interaction with Hyoyeon and was slightly disappointed at not being able to be alone with her.

"This is my best friend, Miss A's Min." Miss A was a popular girl group produced by JYP Entertainment.

Min smiled at Demond and waved. "Hey," she said in clear English. Min was about the same height as Hyoyeon and had short blonde hair.

Demond bowed. "Hello."

"We grew up learning to dance together when we were kids. When I told her that I was being taught by you, the winner of the Dance Pro 3000, she begged me to come along," Hyoyeon explained.

Min pinched Hyoyeon's shoulder lightly as she displayed a pout. "I didn't BEG, I asked politely..."

Hyoyeon grinned. "Don't lie, you were super excited."

"I don't know how well I can teach you because I'm still new at this..." Demond said.

"Don't worry about it. Just teach me what you know," Min replied.

"What did you want to learn?" he asked.

"Teach me that last dance you did for the Dance Pro 3000!" Min said enthusiastically. "That'd be amazing!"

Hyoyeon nodded. "Yeah, teach us that!"

Demond rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly. "But I made that up on the spot so..."

"Wow, you freestyled that?" Min said, surprised.

"Yeah."

"Just show us what you remember," Hyoyeon said.

"Well, first, I started out with some hip-hop motions, like this..." Demond showed them. He did the movements slowly and the two followed along. "Yeah, like that. Then I switched into some popping..." He started moving his limbs in a wave like motion. Min and Hyoyeon followed right behind him. 'Min's good, she picks it up as fast as Hyoyeon,' he thought.

"Like this?" Min mimicked Demond as best she could.

Demond nodded. "Yeah. I transitioned into animation next." Demond kept his movement slow and deliberate, making sure they could see everything that was going on. Hyoyeon was able to do a slightly looser version of his movements while Min's dance looked more like popping.

"Try to stutter your movements more Min," Demond instructed. "It's similar to popping but not quite the same."

"Sorry, first time trying like this." She tried a second time. "Like this?" Min flexed her muscles as she moved her limbs.

"Better. That's basic gist of the dance. It's just switching between the styles while making it look smooth that's the hard part." Demond did the dance once again and strung together the three styles but this time sped it up into full motion.

Min whistled, impressed.

"He's good huh?" Hyoyeon boasted.

"Yeah I'll say," Min commented.

Demond shook his head. "I still have a lot to learn. There are many dances I don't know and you two have been dancing professionally for much longer than me. I'm still just your junior."

"Maybe, but don't underestimate the years you've spent dancing on the streets," Hyoyeon said. "You've been honing your skills for as long as we have, we've just had different training."

Min nodded. "Dancing is dancing and you definitely have a talent for it."

"Thanks..."

To hear such compliments from seasoned K-Pop veterans always felt awkward for him. He never felt as if he was doing anything special, he just moved his body to a flow he felt was natural for him. Years and years of street dancing had imbedded dancing into his very veins, it came as easily as breathing to him. But they had been doing the same, only on the professional level with expert choreography. He wondered if they felt the same way he did about dancing?

"How do you guys feel when dancing?" Demond asked aloud.

"Hm?" Hyoyeon pondered for a moment. "If I had to describe it in one word...I would say 'freeing'."

Min nodded. "Yeah. I feel like I truly express myself when I'm dancing."

"What about you Demond?" Hyoyeon asked.

"I...I've never really thought about it but I think I feel the same way," Demond said. "Dancing feels...natural to me. Like it's what I was born to do."

"I understand that feeling well," Hyoyeon disclosed.

"Say, what you guys say about doing a freestyle battle?" Min asked.

"Sure. That'll be fun," Hyoyeon answered.

Min turned to Demond. "Teacher?"

Demond's face flushed with slight embarrassment at the title. "Don't call me that. Just call me Demond."

"Okay. You're the same age as Hyoyeon right? Demond-oppa then. So what do you say?"

"Sounds good," Demon responded.

Hyoyeon turned on the stereo. "I'll start."

Hyoyeon started out where she was most comfortable, hip-hop. Dancing to the beat, she added in some popping and then pointed to Demond. Demond stepped up in rhythm with some animation, twitching his body in a broken motion. He spun around in a circle then handed it off to Min who started off slowly with hip-hop dancing before flinging her arms wildly and doing some excessively exaggerated motions. It was a comically extravagant dance that had Hyoyeon put face in her hand.

"Oh no, not kkap..." Hyoyeon muttered.

Min finished her dance with the splits and pointed to Demond who had a smile on his face. Kkap dancing was where you dance with excessive movements in a funny or weird way as Demond's street dancing friends had taught him. Demond followed Min's kkap dance with one of his own, doing the running man with a preposterous energy.

Hyoyeon crossed one arm and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What have you started Min..."

Demond created a spasm with his body and made hand guns toward Hyoyeon. Hyoyeon sigh but didn't let the two dancers outdo her, charging up her own kkap dance. She pumped her chest in and out then whipped her hair around melodramatically. She finished with a freeze in a ridiculous position and began laughing, not able to contain herself. Min and Demond joined in soon after. It was fun to just let it all out and go wild every once in a while, thought Demond.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Star Empire Entertainment. I'm the choreographer here at Star Empire, Minjoon." The dance teacher held out his hand to Demond who shook it. It was a hard handshake.<p>

"Demond," the Sky Crew dancer said with a bow. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Yes, quite," Minjoon said flatly. "Shin told me about you. You're quite the dancer in his eyes."

"I still have a long way to go," Demond said honestly.

"Of course. That's why you're here is it not? From what I gather from Shin, you'll be watching how I instruct so that you can learn yourself. Just make sure you don't get in my way and we'll get through this fine."

"Yes sir..." Already, Demond was a little put off by Minjoon. The way Minjoon spoke was cold and matter-of-factly, quite different from Jae Hwa who, while hard at times, was kind and motherly at the same time.

"Follow me to the dance studio."

Demond walked behind Minjoon as they went through the corridors of the Star Empire building. It was a moderately sized building, bigger than the Sky Crew headquarters but smaller than SM Entertainment. They passed several people on the way who bowed fervently towards Minjoon who didn't acknowledge them and kept walking. Minjoon opened the door to the dance studio and was immediately greeted with an army-like shout, "Hello teacher!" by the girls inside.

As before, Minjoon barely acknowledged their greeting and instead went straight to introducing them. "Demond, this is Nine Muses. Girls, this is Demond from the Sky Crew. He'll be shadowing me for the next couple weeks." He didn't bother introducing them individually, though Demond had done his research and knew the girls by name.

Nine Muses greeted Demond with the same loud salute as they did with their teacher and Demond bowed in return.

"Now that that's out of the way, let's get started," Minjoon said. They got right to it as Minjoon began instructing the girls on a new dance. It wasn't for promotion but rather for practice. Thirty minutes in, Minjoon wasn't happy and stopped them.

"Hyemi, did you get much sleep last night?" Minjoon asked.

"Y-Yes..."

"Then what's wrong with you? Huh? Pick it up Hyemi, you're being lazy," he said harshly.

"Yes sir..." Hyemi kept her eyes on the ground.

"And look up when you talk to me. You're an adult, act like one."

"Y-Yes!"

Demond frowned. This wasn't what he was used to. Sure, Jae Hwa pushed them but she didn't insult them. It was unnecessary, thought Demond.

"Alright, pick it up from the top."

Practice continued, as did the jabbing from Minjoon. He was relentless on the girls and treated them like young delinquents that needed to be straightened out.

"C'mon Kyungri, move your hips," Minjoon said with a clap of his hands. "Sera, look sexy. What are you, a man?"

The rest of the day followed this pattern for nearly eight hours straight with only a small break in between for food. Finally, practice ended and the girls dropped to the floor, exhausted. Minjoon made his way over to Demond who had been diligently watching, albeit with difficulty. It was a struggle for him to watch Minjoon berate the girls and remain quite.

"Have you been watching closely?" Minjoon asked.

"Yes sir..."

"Good. I hope you payed attention closely to how I instructed the girls. You need to show a firm hand with them, that's how they take instruction the best."

"..." Demond said nothing.

The week went by at a snail's pace. It was torturous for Demond. He didn't like the way Minjoon treated the girls. Certainly, they were more responsive to his commands due to Minjoon's harsh nature but Demond thought that there were better ways to teach. He could never see himself teaching in Minjoon's style, much preferring the nurturing method of Jae Hwa. Admittedly, he did learn some teaching techniques from Minjoon but Demond was reaching his tipping point with Minjoon's ways.

"From the beginning now, let's see the whole routine," Minjoon commanded.

Nine Muses started the dance from the top and were executing well. It had only been a week since practice had started but Demond thought they were getting it down nicely. Minjoon, however, had a different opinion.

"STOP. Euaerin, what was that?" Minjoon demanded. "That's not what I taught you."

Euaerin bowed her head. "Sorry teacher!"

"Show me again."

She completed the move once again and Minjoon shook his head with a disgusted expression on his face. "Terrible. Demond, come up here."

Demond, surprised to be spoken to, and went up to the front with Minjoon. "Yes sir?"

"Show them how it's done," Minjoon stated flatly.

Demond blinked. He expected him to know the dance? Sure, Demond had been watching them dance closely for over a week now, but he hadn't been practicing with them. To do the dance so abruptly was too sudden. Demond swallowed nervously but did the best that he could from memory.

Minjoon nodded. "That's right, that's how it's done."

Despite himself, Demond felt good at the compliment and shook his head internally at himself. 'No, forget this guy. I don't want praise from him...' he thought in outrage.

"Demond hasn't even been practicing and he knows the dance better than you. Get yourself together Euaerin," Minjoon firmly said.

"Yes teacher!"

Demond furrowed his eyebrows in anger but remained silent.

"Again, start from the beginning."

* * *

><p>"You want to stop shadowing Minjoon?" Shin said, surprised. "Why?"<p>

"I don't like the way he treats his dancers," Demond said. "He needlessly berates them and puts them down. If I have to shadow him for a whole more week, I feel like I'll blow up..."

"Wow, to hear that from a mild-mannered guy like you, this guy must be really something," Shin said thoughtfully.

"He is."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Stick with it for one more day and I'll make up some excuse for why you're stopping early."

"Thank you..." Demond breathed a sigh of relief, glad Shin understood. 'Just one more day...'

* * *

><p>Demond was at the Star Empire dance studio, watching Nine Muses practice the routine. Thankfully, Minjoon hadn't showed up yet but Demond felt anxiety waiting for the choreographer to return. 'Please don't let there be any incidents...'<p>

"Um, Demond...?"

Demond looked up, surprised that someone was talking to him. Everyone had pretty much left him alone during his apprenticeship and made little effort to connect with him. This was the first time that one of Nine Muses had talked to him. It was Sera, one of the oldest of the group. She approached him with a shy smile.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could help me review my dance?" she asked hesitantly.

"Um, sure...I haven't been practicing though, so you probably know the dance better than I do..." Demond said.

Sera shook her head. "You've been watching us closely, I'm sure you could give me some good tips. You're a great dancer after all, I saw you at the Dance Pro 3000."

Demond scratched the back of his head. "Thanks. Uh, okay, sure, show me your dance."

"Thank you!" Sera got into position and put on a serious face. She started the routine quickly and got into a nice rhythm after just a couple moves. As Demond watched her dance, Demond thought to himself that she was a good dancer. All of them were. That's why he didn't understand why Minjoon criticized them so harshly when Demond thought they were doing fine.

She finished her dance and Demond nodded. "That was good," he said. "I think if you just move your hips a little bit more at this part, you'll have everything down pat."

Sera visibly brightened and bowed. "Thank you!"

"Alright everybody, time to start," Minjoon said, entering the studio. Everybody immediately straightened up.

Eight hours in, dance practice went as usual, with Minjoon being his typical harsh self. He was ruthless.

"C'mon, what's wrong with you girls? You're worse than you usually are," Minjoon said with a displeased scoff. "You call yourselves professionals?"

"Um, teacher..." Sera started, surprising Demond. This was the first time he had seen any of Nine Muses speak up to Minjoon before, other than the occasional "Yes sir!". "I think everyone's just tired. If we could just get a little break-"

Minjoon's palm whipped across Sera's face with a loud snap. Sera fell to the ground and Minjoon regarded her coldly. "How dare you speak up to me! Don't you think I know that you're tired? That's no excuse for slacking off." Minjoon towered above her as he spoke while Sera looked at the ground, abashed. Demond couldn't take it any more. Gathering his will, Demond walked in between the two, looked Minjoon right in the face, and said, "Stop."

Sera and the rest of Nine Muses eyes went wide with shock, amazed that someone had the gall to speak up to Minjoon.

Minjoon narrowed his eyes at Demond. "What did you say?"

Demond had a steeled expression on his face and wouldn't back down. "I said-"

Sera quickly grabbed Demond arm and pulled him back. "He just meant he thinks we should take a break," Sera interrupted.

Demond opened his mouth but when he saw the pleading look Sera was giving him, he closed it.

Minjoon was silent for a moment before finally he decided to let it slide. "Fine. Ten minutes and then we start again." He left the room.

Everyone was quite for a couple uncomfortable seconds before finally, Sera spoke up. "Thank you Demond...but you shouldn't have. It'll only aggravate the teacher more..."

Demond felt himself getting angry. "So what. Someone needs to say something. I can't just stand by while he treats you girls like trash."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Minha shouted.

Demond looked at Minha, taken aback.

A couple of the other Nine Muses nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah!"

"He's only hard on us because he wants to bring the best out of us!" Hyemi said fervently.

Demond had a ludicrous look on his face. "That's ridiculous. There are better ways to do that other than verbally abusing you guys!"

"You're wrong!" Euaerin exclaimed. Demond looked at the other Nine Muses who weren't arguing with him. They were quiet and uncomfortable, not making eye contact with him.

"Maybe you don't understand because you're a foreigner," Minha said, refusing to back down, "But this is the way it's done in Korea!"

Demond shook his head angrily. "It's not right! Doesn't it make you guys angry? Don't you guys feel any self-worth?"

"We do but...what can we do?" Sera said softly. "It's either take it quietly or...or quit. You can't expect us to do that. This is our dream..."

Demond's expression lightened slightly as he looked at Sera sadly. "It's not worth it Sera...if this is what it takes to be a part of Nine Muses, then it's not worth it. You have to think of yourself and stand up for what's right. Don't give up your pride..."

Nine Muses were quiet and looked at one another, unsure of themselves. Demond headed toward the door. "I'm leaving. Maybe you guys will stand for this but I won't."

"What do you want us to tell the teacher?" Sera asked.

Demond felt anger biting at him again. "I don't care. You can tell him I told him to go to hell for all I care." And with that, he left, leaving Nine Muses alone in turmoil with their thoughts.

Minjoon returned minutes later and looked around the room. "Where's Demond?"

Nine Muses glanced at each other but said nothing. Finally, Sera spoke up. "He...he had an emergency to attend to."

"I see," Minjoon said with a shrug. "Alright, back to work everyone!"

* * *

><p>A week past. Shin explained to Minjoon that Demond wouldn't be shadowing him anymore. The choreographer barely cared. So Demond was at the Sky Crew dance studio, practicing by himself while he waited for choreography practice to start with Jae Hwa.<p>

He heard a knock on the door. Demond looked curiously at the door. None of the Sky Crew would knock on the door like that.

"Um, come in?"

To his astonishment, Sera entered the room. Demond looked at her, surprised. "Sera?"

"Hi Demond," Sera said, bowing at him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I...I wanted to thank you."

Demond raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Sera took a deep breath. "For giving me the courage to quit Nine Muses."

Demond's eyes widened. "What?"

"My contract was up and I decided not to renew it," she explained. "You were right. It was wrong with how Minjoon treated us. I couldn't take it anymore."

"What about the others?"

"I don't know. They won't talk to me anymore," Sera responded sadly.

"I see..." Demond looked at her emphatically. "I'm sorry Sera."

Sera shook her head. "Don't be. It wasn't just you. I'd been thinking about this for a long time now. I still have former Nine Muses to talk to, they were glad when I told them that I quit."

"That's good," Demond said with a soft smile.

Sera returned the smile, albeit with a tint of sadness. "At least now I can do what I want, sing the songs that I want to sing and dance how I want to dance with being criticized for it. I feel free now."

"I'm happy for you," Demond said.

"Anyways, thank you again," Sera said with a deep bow. "Please don't let the others said about you being a foreigner bother you. Keep being you."

"I will."

"Bye Demond," Sera waved at him.

Demond waved back. "Take care Sera."

Once she left, Demond was left wondering if he had done the right thing. Was it right of him to speak up like that? What place was it of his to interfere with their business? 'No...' Demond shook his head. 'I don't care what they say, I won't let abuse like that slide. Not now, not ever.' He was resolute in that thought.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm not Korean and I don't speak Korean! Please let me know if I'm using any words incorrectly. This is a fictional story so I don't know the real reasons why Sera left Nine Muses, please don't take it personally!<p>

Kkap Dancing - A funny or weird dance using exaggerated motions

Unni – Older sister, used by females

Noona – Older sister, used by males

Chingu – Friend, same age

Oppa – Older brother, used by females

Hyung – Older brother, used by males


End file.
